Currently in Malta is Laurent Ottoz, former Italian champion over the 110m and 400m hurdles for many times between 1990 and 2002. He is here on a two week visit as part of the programme for training of local athletics coaches under way by the Malta Amateur Athletic Association.

Ottoz is undertaking a hectic programme where he is seeing both coaches and athletes at the track as well as giving lectures for coaches organised by the association.

The visit was made possible through the financial assistance of CONI through the good offices of the Malta Olympic Committee. Mr Ottoz is himself a Council Member of FIDAL (La Federazione Italiana Di Atletica Leggera) and is also one of its Technical Area Managers.

Among his long list of academic achievements, Ottoz has a Masters Degree in the Training Methodology of the 110m Hurdles and has had a glamorous career, having managed to reach the semi finals in Hurdles in both the Barcelona (1992) and the Atlanta (1996) Olympic Games.

For the interest of all those who are knowledgeable to the sport of athletics and for many veterans, it is worth confirming that Laurent Ottoz is the son of the great 110m hurdler Eddie Ottoz who won the bronze (in a time of 13.4secs) for Italy in the Mexico (1968) Olympics and had earlier placed fourth in the Tokyo (1964) Olympics.