Baku 2015: Sellars sweats it out at European Games

Heather Sellars will swap sweltering Baku for the cooler climbs of altitude training in the Swiss mountains after the European Games.

Sellars come home 15th in the women's triathlon in Baku, her time of 2:05.27 nearly five minutes slower than Switzerland's Nicola Spirig, who won the first-ever European Games gold.

The 24-year old, who is based in Leeds, slowly moved through the field during the decisive 10km run, which she covered in 37:01.

Sellars has appeared in two ITU World Series events this season in Yokohama and Abu Dhabi and was third in a European Cup race earlier this season.

"It's certainly a bit warmer than Leeds but we have done some races in the heat this year," she said.

"None of the races are in Europe just yet, but they are all moving there now. It will be a bit cooler in St Moritz as well, so it will be a shock to the system going from here to there.

“The race was okay but was really hard work. Once the girls got away up front it was hard to chase them down. I really wanted a top ten but I'm still happy with my performance."

European under-23 champion Gordon Benson, Thomas Bishop and Philip Graves will be Team GB's representatives in Sunday's men's race.

Benson recently recorded his best ever World Series finish in Japan and won a European Cup title in April - and is confident about his chances in Baku.

"I'm where I need to be and my form is building through the season. I'm feeling positive that I can chase a good result," he said.

© Sportsbeat 2015