By Ayisha Gulati

British triathlete Sophie Coldwell was delighted with her seventh-place finish in her first ever T100 race in London, as she bounced back from her Olympic selection disappointment.

The 29-year-old was devastated after being omitted from Team GB in Paris, something which led her to apply for a wildcard place in the T100 Triathlon World Tour.

As one of six Brits of 20 on the starting line in Saturday’s race, she hopes this can be the start of a new chapter of middle-distance racing.

“I don’t say I’m proud of myself very often,” Coldwell said. “But I’m proud of my efforts and proud of what I’ve achieved after a tough few week and only three weeks on a TT bike.

“Hopefully with a bit more time on it, I’ll get a bit more comfortable on it. The time on the bike in this race is just so different, so much longer.

“I did better than I thought I would, so I'll take that as a big win for me.

“I’m excited to know that I've got that result on only my sixth ride outside on it.

“With a bit more training, I can really be on the front foot of this kind of racing, and hopefully this will open some doors for me in the future.”

Coldwell led the pack in the swim alongside her compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay, and the British pair stayed neck and neck at the front for the first part of the cycle.

Her inexperience in the middle distance soon became apparent as she lost pace with the leaders but secured an impressive finish in her T100 debut just weeks after the Olympics knockback.

“I don’t train for this distance,” she added. “I train for an Olympic distance and it's very different.

“I never want to race angry; I just want to race for myself. I don't think I get the best out of it if I’m trying to prove people wrong.

“It’s not going to make a difference to the selection because that’s been and gone - I just want to pave my own way here and do my own thing.”

Coldwell is now heading to France to enjoy some down time, whilst also helping her husband, ultrarunner Tom Evans, prepare for Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB).

“It’s all about him for the next few weeks,” she added. “But I’ll put my name down for a few more wildcards and see what happens.

“I’ll be cheering for Tom in UTMB - that's a stressful job in itself! But this is his dream and his Olympics, so hopefully I can play a small part in helping him achieve it.”

The first London T100 Triathlon weekend on 27-28 July is entirely free for spectators and includes a dedicated T100 Watch Party venue at the ExCel London Exhibition Centre for the very first time. Where fans will be able to see the world's best triathletes come past at least 10 times during the 100km race format (2km swim, 80km run, 18 km swim). As well as being able to follow them live, out on the course, thanks to a big screen