Maltese weightlifting starlet Tenishia Thornton won the ‘best individual female’ title at the Weightlifting European Small Nations Championship held in Cyprus over the weekend.

The 17-year-old placed first in her category with a whopping 255 points. Iceland ranked second with 229 points and Malta’s very own Roberta Tabone ranked third with 226 points.

The Maltese team’s combined scores landed them the ‘best female team’ title overall, followed by Iceland and Cyprus.

The combined points of all Maltese participants – Tenishia Thornton, Roberta Tabone, Anton Micallef, Shaun Ciantar, and Rylee Borg – placed the mixed local team in third place overall, just a single point behind runners-up Iceland and four points behind winners Cyprus.

Malta’s men’s team placed in third place, ranking above Monaco, San Marino, and Luxembourg.

“17-year-old Tenishia Thornton has had a stellar year, and she does not seem to be slowing down in the slightest,” the Malta Weightlifting Association wrote.

Tenishia also managed to place first in the Cyprus Junior International Open – also held over the weekend.

She managed a personal best and national record snatch of 83kg in the 59kg category as well as a 101kg clean and jerk. Her 184kg total was also a new national record. Tenishia is currently hearing up for the IWF World Weightlifting Championships, set to take place in Colombia next December.

Overall, the Maltese mixed team managed a total of 1832 points, finishing just behind Iceland. The championship’s winners, Cyprus, finished with a grand total of 1836 points.

Way to go, Team Malta!

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