Athletics Malta concludes European Team Championships in fifth place

Team Malta has completed the European Athletics Team Championships in Maribor, Slovenia, in fifth place, confirming the strong placing achieved two years ago in Poland.

The Maltese team was competing in the Third Division, a 15-nation event comprising most GSSE nations but also larger countries such as Bosnia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

Iceland topped the final placings and will be joined in Division Two by Luxembourg and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Malta’s fifth place, behind Moldova, and achieved with the inclusion of a number of young athletes, bodes well for the future of the sport.

Among the highlights of the second day, Gina McNamara doubled up on her victory in the 800m by also winning the 1500m in 4:27.22. 

Rachela Pace, who had achieved top spot in the long jump, added further points for Malta’s tally with a third place in the triple jump, as she keeps on building a very positive season so far.

Other notable performances included 18-year-old Benjamin Salnitro, who claimed third place in the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.98s.

Nicolai Bonello was third on the pole vault with 4.35m and Luke Micallef, who also finished third in the 3000m steeplechase in 9:16.16.

In the final event of the competition, the 4x400m mixed relay, Team Malta registered a national record, with Nick Bonett, Martha Spiteri, Matthew Galea Soler and Gina McNamara stopping the clock in 3:26.79.