The European Team Championships

Never before the last two days of Spring 2010 had Malta hosted such a gathering of the cream of athletics from fifteen European Nations, each parading athletes normally seen competing mostly via television in one or another international event.

Teams like Bulgaria, Denmark, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and others were present along with Cyprus and Luxembourg, some athletes from these latter nations more familiar amongst the Maltese due to their participation in the Games for the Small States of Europe, even at this competition when last held in Malta.

The Cypriot Artymata, for one, has risen considerably in the world rankings, making it to the final of the 200m at the World Championships in Berlin last year after her fine showing in the sprints at the last Olympics. Nonetheless, the Cypriot did not have it all her way, as the effervescent Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria not only beat her in the 100m but also was instrumental within the 4 x 100m relay team to help win maximum points for her country in the two events.

However, it was Denmark, with 519 points, that finally topped the classification, despite – no mean feat, mind – coming in first in five of the male events and only once in the twenty events for women. In contrast, Cyprus, who finished third overall, managed nine firsts, five in the men and four among the women, while Bulgaria, with a strong showing in all events, took ten, their women coming out as leaders in no less than seven events, to take the second promotion spot.

This is not to say that, on an individual athlete basis, these three countries stole the show entirely. The diminutive Luiza Gega, at 21 years of age, is a name to go by in the near future, after winning convincingly the classic middle distance events, the 800m and the 1500metres, for her country Albania. Then there was Luciah Kimani from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who posted another double in the longer 3000 and 5000m events.

In the twenty events for the men, while there were no such double acts, a performance to catch the eye was undoubtedly that by the Cypriot Ioannu Kyriakos, an Olympic medal winner, who won the High Jump with his leap of 2.22 metres. Yet another jumper, this time horizontal, the Dane Morten Jensen, cleared 8.16 metres, albeit with a following wind of 2.7 metres per second. In fact, this jump earned the Dane the best technical performance award given by Athletics Malta, complimenting Artymata’s showing in the female 200metres.

The Association also thought it fit to honour the fine performance of Team Malta, whose excellent collective performance earned the country, on this the first showing as a full strength mixed team, a mid-table position, the ninth, in reflection of most of the results gained by the athletes in the national colours. Notwithstanding, in a good number of events,

Malta put on show the inroads gained over these last years, emerging triumphant over much more fancied competition. The relays especially, but not only, demonstrated this progress, with the men finishing eighth and fifth in the 4 by 100m and 4 by 400metres respectively.

The women went one better by taking fifth place in both events, with the shorter race providing the best technical performance overall by the Maltese. Individually, with his best technical performance among the Maltese men, James D’Alfonso finished fifth in the 400m and eight in the 200m, while the veteran Mario Bonello, who was also coach of the relay teams, put in a wonderful performance in the 100m to finish seventh in a seasonal best time.

Among the women, Malta gained the third spot in two events besides their prestigious performances in the relays. In the 400m, Francesca Xuereb put in the best technical performance for Maltese women when she finished her one lap sprint in a season’s best of 56.29 seconds. In the Long Jump, it was Rebecca Camilleri, clearing 5.89 metres, to win Malta another thirteen points. Meanwhile, in the Triple Jump, the versatile Alessandra Pace continued with her progress clearing 12.12 metres to finish fourth, while another two fifth places went to Diane Borg in the 100m and Martina Xuereb in the 200m sprint.

Considered a result to build upon, at an occasion called for the purpose, Athletics Malta praised the team spirit demonstrated by all the athletes, thanking all who contributed to the final tally of 287.5 points. Particularly, the athletes were praised for their participation in disciplines at which they were unaccustomed and through which Malta won valuable marks.

Encouraged to carry forward their ambitions, the athletes were promised full support for the more testing season ahead, when Team Malta would be competing abroad on both occasions. In fact, during 2011 Malta is to take part in two major track and field competitions in the space of a few weeks. One being the Games for Small Nations to be held in Liechtenstein and later in the more competitive Third European Team Championships, to follow at a venue still to be decided upon by European Athletics.