In a remarkable display of skill and determination, Team Malta has maintained their hold on fourth place in the European Athletics Team Championships. Despite the strong competition from historically successful nations, Malta continues to lead the rest of the pack, accumulating crucial points across various track and field events.

One of the standout performances of the day came from Gina Mcnamara, who secured significant points haul for Malta with a remarkable showing in the women's 800m race. Fresh from her triumphant performance at GSSE 2023, Mcnamara clocked a personal best of 2:04.41, finishing a close second behind Ireland's Louise Shanahan (2:03.39) and ahead of Austria's Caroline Bredlinger (2:04.78).

The men's 4x100m relay team, comprised of Luke Bezzina, Omar El Aida Chaffey, Beppe Grillo, and Graham Pellegrini, continued to impress following their success at GSSE, clinching a commendable third place finish with a time of 41.11s.

The women's team, featuring Claire Azzopardi, Alessia Cristina, Janet Richard, and Charlotte Wingfield, also put in a strong performance, securing fourth place with a time of 45.87s.

Maltese athletes showcased their talent in field events as well. Sana Grillo equalled her personal best in the pole vault, reaching a height of 3.60m and finishing fourth. Rebecca Sare impressed in the triple jump, holding off competition from several nations to secure fifth place with a jump of 12.42m. Luca Martini added to Malta's points tally with a sixth-place finish in the hammer throw, recording a distance of 53.28m. Jeremy Zammit claimed seventh place in the long jump, leaping to a distance of 7.18m.

With a total of 247.50 points, Malta maintains a firm grip on fourth place, comfortably ahead of their nearest rivals Bosnia. They also outperform all GSSE nations competing in the division, as well as other countries such as Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Georgia, and Northern Macedonia.

As the Championships move into its final day, Team Malta's athletes continue to showcase their exceptional skills, proving that size is no barrier to success on the European stage.

Darren Micallef