Athletics exploits help Malta surpass San Marino tally

The track and field programme on the last day of the GSSE produced some exciting moments for the Maltese athletes and their numerous supporters who came to cheer on their compatriots at the Andorra la Vella city stadium.

Words cannot describe the joy of the Maltese on the stands after the track and field team won no fewer than ten medals with Carol Galea and the men's 4x100m relay quartet taking pride of place with two gold medals. The tally pushed Malta's overall medal haul of first placings to seven... equalling the result achieved in San Marino in 2001.

"This achievement today is a record in number of GSSE medals won in athletics," a delighted Malta Amateur Athletics Association president Anthony Chircop said.

"Two years ago in Malta we managed 16 medals but this time we are taking home 18. This is a wonderful feat and a great boost for our sport. We will seek to promote our sport even better and improve our standards further.

"If you look at some of our medal winners, especially in the women's category, we have a crop of very young teenagers who have the potential to turn our team into one of the strongest sides in GSSE.

"All we are hoping for now is that we will receive more backing to help our athletes fulfil their potential."

Carol Galea again lived up to her tag as Malta's queen of sport. Yesterday, this evergreen long distance runner defended her 10,000 metres title won in Malta in 2003 in emphatic fashion, crossing the finishing line in 37.40.36.

The unyielding Lisa Bezzina struggled hard against fatigue to complete a one-two finish for Malta when she crossed the line second in 38.35.51. Frida Thordardottir was third for Iceland in 38:49.87.

"I am very happy to have won my third overall 10,000m title," Galea said.

"At the start of the race the front runners were adopting a very slow rhythm to try and tire me out but I didn't let them carry on with their plan as I quickly took control of the race and imposed my style.

"I'm also happy for my training partner Lisa. We all thought she was strong enough to challenge for third place but she produced a great performance that also surpassed her expectations. That made our coach John Walsh a happy man."

One of the most-awaited races was the men's 4x100m relay where our quartet, composed of Jeandre Mallia, Rashid Chouhal, Mario Bonello and Darren Gilford, were bidding to end the reign of Cyprus who have dominated this event for several years now.

However, all this was about to change once the race started as our four sprinters were in intimidating form with Gilford dashing home first in a time of 40.63 to equal the national record set three days ago. It was the first time that the men's relay team won this title.

Luxembourg were second in 41.32 and Iceland (42.90) took bronze. Cyprus and San Marino were disqualified.

"We have finally managed to beat Cyprus," Gilford said. "We all wanted to beat them here in Andorra and each member in the team worked hard for that goal."

Bonello and Chouhal were architects of further medal success. They teamed up with Ivan Borg and Nikolai Portelli to win silver in the 4x400m relay in 3:18.74. Luxembourg won the race but were disqualified and victory was awarded to Cyprus (3:15.85). San Marino were promoted to third (3.20.33).

Bonello to retire

Bonello completed a full set of medals when he placed third in the 200 metres final before announcing that he will retire.

"Athletics has given me a lot in my life but now I feel the time is right for me to retire," he said. "I am leaving Andorra with a gold, silver and bronze and that's not bad. However, I've decided to spend more time with my family after this."

Chouhal, runner-up in the long jump, collected his second silver of the Games when he added another second placing in the triple jump with a leap of 14.57... a new national record.

The women's 4x100m relay team, featuring Charlene Attard, Diane Borg, Lara Scerri and Martina Xuereb, almost made it a golden double in the relay but were pipped by the technically superior Cypriots to finish second in 47.21... a new national record.

"It was a great team performance," 14-year old Borg said. "We came close to beating Cyprus but rest assure that in two years' time we will win the gold medal."

The four young Maltese sprinters were again beaten by Cyprus in the longer relay when they crossed the finish line second in 3.50.29. Luxembourg took bronze.

Earlier Attard took bronze in the 200 metres when she dashed home third in 25.14.

Jean Paul Callus earned Malta a first medal in the field competitions after he placed third in the javelin competition. Here, gold went to Ioannis Stylianou of Cyprus with 64.06 ahead of Moise Louis-Louisy of Monaco (58.75). Callus's throw was 56.87m.

Mark Herrera was sixth in the 1,500m final with a time of 4:02.37. In the women's discus Antonella Chouhal was fourth with a throw of 34.50 metres.