With the inaugural European Games in Baku little under two weeks away, excitement in the Team GB camp is certainly building.
The triathlon event will take place on June 13 and June 14, with the women racing on the Saturday and the men on the Sunday.
One of those competing for Team GB will be Gordon Benson, who will enter the competition off the back of a strong 2015 thus far.
Here, Sports Mole caught up with the 21-year-old Leeds-born triathlete ahead of the start of the competition.
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How are you feeling about Baku?
"I am looking forward to it. It is obviously a new experience. It will be a good opportunity to go and experience this multi-sport championship in a Team GB style event."
What about your placing in the ITU World Triathlon in Yokohama last month? Were you pleased with 15th position?
"Yeah I was pretty happy with 15th in Japan. That was my best World Series result and it was off the back of a win in the European Cup four weeks beforehand (April 15).
"I feel that I am where I need to be, I am still building on form and everything so hopefully by the time it comes around I will be good to go and can chase a good result."
What would you say is your biggest strength in triathlon?
"I just love racing. I would say that I am probably a stronger runner than I am a swimmer. I am more of a runner, but I need a strong swim to put me in a good position to be able to run for the win ideally.
"I just like a good honest race, I like to have it where all three disciplines are pretty solid and all go. I train for all three and we work hard to make it that way."
Have you been to Azerbaijan before?
"I have not actually been before and it is nice to go somewhere different. Often I find myself returning to the same places and I am friends with the lads back from home who just won a stage in the tour of Azerbaijan cycling race. They have said good things about it and it will be nice to have a new experience for myself.
"It looks really nice, all of the stadiums etc. Although our race is perhaps more natural surroundings, but it will be nice to have a different experience."
Finally, what happens between now and Baku?
"I am just going to keep doing what I am doing. We head out on the Tuesday before the Games starts, I will have a little bit of time to acclimatise and take it all in and then we will race on the Sunday.
"It seemed to be six weeks away, still six weeks away and now it is next week. It all became a bit more real today coming down to get the kit. It is really happening now and I am really looking forward to it."
Matt Law
