The Malta Weightlifting National Team competed this weekend at the European Small Nations Championships in Iceland, that saw the participation of athletes from 7 different Small Nations. The Maltese Team delivered outstanding performances with an impressive haul of nine medals and several national records.
First on stage was Kim Camilleri Lagana, who delivered a strong performance in the 53kg category, achieving her personal best total of 167kg and securing 1st place in the Junior Female category, ahead of Iceland and Cyprus.
The Junior Men’s team then made history with an extraordinary result, as all three Maltese athletes claimed the entire podium.
Rylee Borg won 1st place with a total of 278kg with 339 points, followed by Nathan Mifsud 331 points in 2nd place with 222kg, and Luke Stefan Micallef in 3rd place with 213kg with 310 points.
Mifsud also set two new national records in the Youth 65kg category:
• 122kg in the Clean & Jerk
• 222kg in the Total, which now stands as the national record across all age categories up to Seniors at the a young age of 16 years
Luke Stefan Micallef also had an excellent debut in the tournament. Competing in the 65kg category, he set a new Clean & Jerk record of 123kg in both the Junior and Senior categories.
Additional medals came in the Junior Doubles, where Rylee Borg and Kim Camilleri Lagana secured another podium finish.
In the Senior Women’s category, Tenishia Thornton and Roberta Tabone both delivered strong performances. Thornton lifted a total of 201kg, finishing just a few kilograms behind Iceland, while Tabone achieved a total of 192kg. In the Senior Women’s Doubles, Malta secured the silver medal, with Iceland taking gold and Cyprus finishing third.
In the Senior Men’s Doubles, Rylee Borg and Nathan Mifsud also claimed the silver medal, finishing behind Cyprus, with Iceland taking third place.
The participation in this competition was made possible thanks to the support of SportMalta and the Malta Olympic Committee.
A remarkable weekend for Maltese weightlifting as despite being the youngest team to ever compete in this championships with 5 out of the 6 athletes younger than 20 years of age the Maltese youngster held their own in the senior categories tallying 9 medals. This highlights the strength and progress of the national team on the international stage.