AN arduous trip to north Wales paid dividends for Ruth Thom, pictured, at the Bala Standard Tri.

The Salisbury Tri athlete completed the event in 2hours 23mins, finishing seventh in her age group, and is heading for the ETU World Championships next year, where she will be competing for Team GB.

Teammate Julian Himmerich raced the Lymington Tri and crossed the line in 29th position.