The Marsa Sport Complex was buzzing with excitement over the past few days as the Malta Weightlifting Association hosted the 46th edition of the European Small Nations and Malta International Open Championships. Over 150 athletes from 15 countries gathered at the newly inaugurated Weightlifting Centre for the intense competition.

Malta’s lifters put on an exceptional display, setting national records and securing top spots across multiple categories. Tenishia Thornton dominated the competition with a stellar performance, lifting 89kg in the snatch and 113kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 260 points, shattering several national records along the way. Roberta Tabone was equally impressive, achieving personal bests of 86kg in the snatch and 110kg in the clean and jerk, earning 245 points.

In the men’s category, 18-year-old Rylee Borg delivered a brilliant performance, lifting 130kg in the snatch and 156kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 350 points, rewriting the national record books. Not far behind, Vlad Baldacchino put up a strong fight with lifts of 134kg in the snatch and 161kg in the clean and jerk, scoring 340 points and setting his own share of national records.

Malta’s young rising stars also shone brightly. Fifteen-year-old Nathan Mifsud stunned the crowd with an 88kg snatch and a 103kg clean and jerk, earning 305 points and multiple national records. On the women’s side, Kim Camilleri Lagana dominated the youth category, lifting 71kg in the snatch and 92kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 240 points.

This year’s championship was particularly special, marking the 50th anniversary of weightlifting in Malta. The celebrations at the state-of-the-art Weightlifting Centre, a SportMalta project, were attended by international weightlifting officials, who commended Malta’s seamless event organization and the exceptional performances of its athletes.

With such an incredible showing on home soil, Malta’s weightlifters have firmly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. The future of Maltese weightlifting has never looked brighter!

Congratulations to all the winners!