Triathlon venue established for Baku 2015 European Games
By Nigar Orujova
A venue has been established for the Triathlon event to be held next summer, Baku 2015 European Games announced on September 22.
The event which will bring together 130 of Europe's finest athletes will be held at Bilgah Beach, located just north of Baku city center.
The race - which will consist of a 1,500 meters swim, 40 kilometers bike ride and 10 kilometers run - is expected to be one of most popular events of the first European Games.
Chief Operating Officer of Baku 2015 Simon Clegg said: "We are delighted to now be able to confirm details for the Triathlon at next summer's inaugural European Games."
"As the winners of the men's and women's events will automatically qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, we expect an elite field of athletes competing in what will prove to be a superb venue," he added.
Situated close to the Athletes Village, Bilgah Beach is well-known as a luxurious seaside resort that is popular among both locals and tourists.
President of the International Triathlon Union Marisol Casado said: "We are very happy that Baku 2015 European Games has now established this high-profile venue for the event."
"Their determination to secure a location that has the capacity to host high-quality sport as well as the large crowds that are expected to attend was very interesting."
President of the European Triathlon Union Renato Bertrandi added: "The continent's athletes will no doubt be delighted by the quality of the venue and we are anxiously looking forward to next year's European Games."
The two-day competition will take place during the opening weekend of action next year, on June 13-14.
Baku 2015 Director of Sport Pierce O'Callaghan said: "Triathlon by its nature is an extremely exciting sport and the Bilgah Beach is the perfect location for what will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the European Games sports program."
"The recent test results of the water quality were excellent and we are more than confident that the first European Games will see a thrilling race taking place in a spectacular setting," he said.
Baku European Games 2015 is an exciting and innovative new multi-sport event for the continent, which will take place in June 12-28, 2015. The games will include a total of 20 sports that will gather more than 6,000 athletes.