Bonello Spiteri 37th in Baku

Triathlon winner Nicola Spirig.

Maltese athletes made their first competitive appearance at the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, yesterday as Danica Bonello Spiteri and Hannah Pace took part in the women’s triathlon while the U-17 waterpolo team conceded a heavy defeat in their first match from the men’s competition.

Bonello Spiteri and Pace were among 48 triathletes on the shoreline at Bilgah beach.

Participants were engaged in a two-lap 750m swim before a 40km flat cycle and a 10km run.

Bonello Spiteri crossed the finish line in 37th place after two hours, 19 minutes and 27 minutes.

Pace, however, was listed among the ten triathletes who did not finish the race.

Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig won the race in two hours and 28 seconds. Rachel Klamer, of the Netherlands, took the silver in 2:01:44, and Sweden’s Lisa Norden, the London 2012 Olympic silver medallist, claimed the bronze in 2:01:46.

Spirig, the gold medallist at the 2012 Olympics, has also guaranteed herself a quota place for next year’s Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The men’s triathlon will be held this morning with Malta represented by Keith Galea.

In waterpolo, Malta U-17 were handed a tough debut in the Games after they went down to favourites Spain 22-4 (6-1, 4-0, 5-0, 7-3).

Malta skipper Ben Plumpton scored a double with the other goals coming from James Gambin and Kyle Navarro.

Today, Karl Izzo’s team play their second Group D match against Slovakia. The latter started their tournament with a 14-5 defeat to Serbia.