Grillo and Richard win Athletics Malta Athletes of the Year award

Beppe Grillo and Janet Richard were crowned as athletes of the year in a ceremony hosted by Athletics Malta, with the association also celebrating the best-performing athletes in track and field in the various age categories.

Grillo’s victory comes as no surprise with 2024 being a year of accomplishments, marked by several titles at home and a standout performance on the international stage

The young sprinter shattered a decade-old 100m national record with an impressive time of 10.23 seconds at the Balkan Championships in Izmir, Turkey, securing a bronze medal in the process.

The young athlete also represented Malta at the Olympic Games in Paris, running his 100m heat in 10.69 seconds.

Janet Richard’s win cements her place in the annals of history as she secured this accolade for the fifth time in her career.

In another impressive season, Richard represented Malta at the European Championships in Rome, running the 800m in two minutes and 04.34 seconds. 

Richard was a medal winner for Malta, at the Athletics Championships of the Small States of Europe that were held in Gibraltar last June.

The sprinter secured a silver medal in the 400m, and was part of the women’s relay team that won gold for Malta in the same event.

The other senior winners in the different track and field categories were Claire Azzopardi and Omar El Aida Chaffey (sprints), Rebecca Sare and Armani James (jumps) Bradley Mifsud and Antonella Chouhal (throws), Luke Micallef and Rosalie Cauchi (hurdles/steeplechase), Jared Micallef and Janet Richard (middle distance) as well as Jordan Gusman and Gina McNamara (long distance).

Antonella Chouhal and Charles Cilia were awarded the Master Athlete of the Year award.

For Chouhal, the highlight of the season was a 46.05m effort in the hammer throw, while Cilia ran an impressive 5km road race in 16:17, a significant feat for an athlete competing in the Over 55 category.

Athletics Malta also presented awards to winners of age categories ranging from Under 14 to Under 23.