Bermudian Olympian Erica Hawley described the World Triathlon Cup in Beijing as one of the most gruelling encounters of her career after battling through relentless downpours to claim a 17th-place finish.
Torrential rain battered the course throughout the day, creating treacherous conditions that tested the field's nerve and bike-handling skills on the technical sections.
Despite the difficult elements, Hawley stayed upright and mounted a strong surge on the run leg to secure valuable Olympic qualification points.
Speaking after arriving in Tongyeong, South Korea, for the next stop on the circuit, Hawley reflected on the mental and physical demands of racing through the deluge in the Chinese capital.
"The result never kind of tells the full story," Hawley said. "I think I handled the conditions as well as I could. It was honestly one of the hardest races I've ever done just in terms of navigating the elements. It was pouring rain the entire race; even the five-minute bike ride to get to the venue, we all arrived soaking wet."
With standing water making fast descents hazardous, Hawley admitted race tactics quickly shifted towards risk management without sacrificing pace.
"There was an element of just wanting to keep upright on the bike, get through the race, not crash, and be safe—but also push hard and not get cold. Dealing with the elements was the big thing," she explained. "I still got some Olympic points, and there were good elements of the race that maybe weren't seen in the result."
The 28-year-old now turns her sights to this weekend's sprint-distance event in Tongyeong, where more wet weather is forecast.
However, having braved the worst of Beijing, Hawley believes the experience leaves her battle-hardened for the challenge ahead.
"It looks like it might be raining again, but nothing can be as bad as what it was in Beijing," she added. "I've kind of ripped the band-aid off that now, so even if it does rain, I feel a bit more confident navigating through it. I'm looking forward to another opportunity to race and hopefully improve on that 17th place."
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