Malta succeeded a second medal – this time a bronze – and its swimmers set three new national records on another positive day at the pool.

Swimming in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd, Andrew Chetcuti (photo) finished third in the 50m freestyle to claim the bronze medal in 23.67 seconds, improving on the record that had been set by Ryan Gambin.

Another new record was established by Nicola Muscat who finished fourth in the 50m in a time of 26.87 seconds.

The third record was set by the men’s relay team. This consisted of Mark Sammut, Neil Agius, Andrea Agius and Andrew Chetcuti. They finished fourth in the 4 x 100 medley in a time of 4:00.50.

In another event, the women’s relay team finished in fifth place in the 4 x 100m medley in a time of 4:39.86. The team comprised Nicola Muscat, Davina Mangion, Talisa Pace and Melinda Sue Micallef.

Coach Andy Colbourn said it was another positive day for Malta, with the men obtaining their second medal – it had never happened before. “I am happy with these performances. I could not expect anything better than a medal and three new national records. The results confirm the continuous progress of these dedicated swimmers,” he said.

Asked about the propects in the remaining events, Colbourn said that their main hopes for a medal were in the men’s and women’s 4 x 100m freestyle relays. “We just haved to wait and see what happens,” he commented.