Lifter Rylee Borg qualifies for Euro U-17, Commonwealth Championships

The Malta Weightlifting Association hosted a ranking event at the Cottonera Sports Complex where a spate of personal bests and national records were set.

Rylee Borg produced the performance of the weekend. The 16-year-old, a former student at the National Sport School, put on a great show as he managed to set personal best lifts of 108kg in the snatch and 133kg in the clean and jerk.

Borg’s efforts saw him not only set new national marks throughout all age categories until U-23, but has also attained the required total to qualify for the European U-17 Championships as well as the Commonwealth Championships.

Tenishia Thornton used the competition to finalise her preparations ahead of her forthcoming participation at the European Weightlifting Championships on April 17.

Malta’s top female lifter managed an impressive 84kg snatch, which is just 1kg under her personal best.

Thornton then went on to lift 103kg in the clean and jerk, an effort which was just three kilogrammes under her best in the 64kg.

The Maltese lifter is set to travel for the European Championships in Armenia in the coming days, alongside coach Jesmond Caruana, where she will compete in the 59kg category at the continental championships which will serve as another Olympic qualification competition on the way to Paris 2024.

Kim Camilleri Lagana, who just competed at the World Youth Championships in Albania a few weeks ago, managed a 56kg snatch and 72kg clean and jerk.

Vlad Baldacchino produced the best male performance overall, when he managed a new national record of 132kg snatch and a 153kg clean and jerk in the 102kg weight category, scoring 314 points.

Baldacchino was followed by Borg who scored 295 points, while Clive Cassar managed 256 points after lifting 100kg snatch and 120kg clean and jerk in the 89kg weight class.

Other eye-catching results came from NSS student, Nathan Mifsud, who weighed in just over 45kg, and lifted a 49kg snatch and 60kg clean and jerk in the youth age category.

Luana Vella, representing CrossFit356, also managed a respectable result as she improved her best to 63kg in the snatch and 76kg in the clean and jerk in the 59kg category. Monica Swayne (WIT) managed a 76kg snatch and 88kg clean and jerk in the 76kg category.

The MWA will now continue its athletes’ preparations for the European Championships along with several other major championships they aim for this year.