With the local 2011 season coming ever closer to an end with the clubs’ competitions presently underway at Marsa on Wednesday evenings, the international season is slowly building up to its major events, culminating in the World Athletics Championships in Daegu, Korea at the end of August.
This season has however already proved to be exceptional for the Malta Amateur Athletics Association especially with the exploits of its athletes at the Games of the Small States of Europe, held in Lichtenstein and the European Team Athletics Championships held in Iceland.
Two very promising young sprinters will now be representing Malta at the European Athletics under 23 championships to be held in Ostrava, Czech Republic later on this week.
On the men’s side, Owen Camilleri will be participating in the 200m. Owen ran some fast times as a younger athlete but unfortunately had a few under par seasons only to bounce back this year in style posting a new personal best in the 200m (21.90sec) at the Games of the Small States of Europe earning him a Bronze medal in that event. Owen also formed part of the silver medal winning 4x100m relay team at the same Games.
On the women’s side, Diane Borg, now a household name, will be participating in both the 100m and 200m. Diane won a silver medal in the 100m, a Gold medal in the 200m and was a member of the Golden Girls’ 4x100m relay team at the Games of the Small States of Europe.
Diane’s results have been remarkable this year, dipping for the first time under the 12sec and 25sec barriers in the 100m and 200m respectively, with her best results of 11.89sec and 24.27sec set in Lichtenstein both being new National Records.
Diane also managed two individualthi places at the European Team Championships competitions in the 100m and 200m and was a member of the 4x100m relay team who also finished third in this event.
The Under 23 Championships will take off this morning and will be streamed live on http://www.european-athletics.org/. These championships will also feature two European greats with the triple European champion Christophe Lemaitre featuring in the 200m and the World Indoor record holder Teddy Tamgho in the Triple Jump.