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History made! Malta’s Matthew Mifsud wins gold at European Junior Championships
Malta has a brand-new sporting hero!

Francesca Vella

A massive well done to 19-year-old Matthew Mifsud, who has claimed gold in the squat at the European Junior Championships, becoming the first Maltese male athlete ever to win gold in international powerlifting.

Competing at a bodyweight of 72.5kg, Matthew powered through an unbelievable 260kg squat, marking his place in Malta’s sporting history.

This year’s European Sub-Junior, Junior & SOI Classic Powerlifting Championships, held between 28 November and 7 December in Druskininkai, Lithuania, has gathered 481 athletes from 36 nations, each battling it out for the continent’s most coveted lifting titles.

Despite his historic achievement, Matthew remained grounded, sharing a humble message on his Instagram story: ‘Gold in squat, yes, but I’d be lying if I said this competition went perfectly. There is still a lot of work to do.’ He also thanked everyone for the unwavering support throughout the competition.

A golden moment for Malta, and the start of an incredibly bright future for this young athlete!

Well done Matthew!

4th December 2025


Francesca Vella
Written by
Francesca Vella
Francesca has always felt most at home in a cinema or theatre, particularly if musicals are involved. She loves to read, write, and share about her experiences of both the fictional and the real world.

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