Malta Puts On Best Ever Performance At European Championships As Athletes Smash National Records
Maltese athletes registered their best ever performance at the European Championships last weekend, finishing ahead of larger nations such as Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Malta finished sixth out of sixteen associations in Limassol, Cyprus – an incredible feat considering local athletes were prevented from training for several months after health authorities banned organised sports in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Malta obtained a higher points tally than the likes of Georgia, Montenegro and Azerbaijan, but not enough to qualify for promotion to the Second League next year.
Nonetheless, the European Championships was a step in the right direction, with a number of local athletes breaking national, seasonal and personal records throughout the weekend meet.
Most notably, Jordan Gusman put on an outstanding performance in the 3,000 metre race with a time of 7’53”70, setting not only a national record but achieving the best time in all four divisions of the European Championships.
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Despite battling injuries for the better part of a year, Gusman also managed to place second in the 1,500 metres with a 3’50”38 timing.
Daniel Saliba also found himself breaking a national record when he ran a time of 14.96 seconds in the 110m hurdles.
Peppijna Dalli leaped her way to a national record after jumping 3.80m in the pole vault, whilst also finishing second in her respective event.
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Malta’s 4×100 women’s relay team (consisting of Claire Azzopardi, Carla Scicluna, Sarah Busuttil and Charlotte Wingfield) put on a valiant effort as they ended the race with a time of 46.27 seconds, earning them a third-place finish.
Lisa Bezzina also recorded a season-best in the 5,000 metres and Carla Scicluna in the 200 metres.
Dillon Cassar, labelled Malta’s ‘biggest prospect in the 5,000 metres’ came in fifth place against very strong opposition with a time of 14’34”93, crushing his personal best and coming less than half a second away from a 26-year-old national record.
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“I am extremely delighted with our highest ever scoring performance at a European Team Championship on foreign soil, achieved with a very young team,” said Athletics Malta President Andy Grech. “These performances confirm a most promising future is in store for our athletes”.
With the Summer Olympics just a month away, some Maltese athletes will be preparing to make the trip up to Tokyo with the final contingent expected to be announced this week.
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