Sasha Gatt set a new landmark in local swimming as the young swimmer reached the final in the 1,500 metres freestyle at the European Junior Swimming Championships which are currently being held in Rome.
Competing in the third heat, Gatt completed the long-distance event in a time of 16 minutes 50.47 seconds to finish fourth in her heat.
Gatt’s timing was a new national record, bettering by almost three seconds her own previous mark of 16 minutes 53.34 seconds she had set during the Slovakia Grand Prix last March.
Merve Tuncel won the race in 16:10.28 ahead of Leonie Maertens, of Germany, who clocked 16:40.55, and Spain’s Angela Guillen Martinez (16:45.51).
In the combined standings of all three heats, Gatt placed seventh overall, which guaranteed her of a place in the final scheduled for Saturday at 8pm.
