Pollacco beats newcomer Ghirlando

John Pollacco took an early lead in the Malta Canoe Federation's Clubman Sprint League last weekend with a clear three-second advantage over nearest rival James Ghirlando.

Pollacco romped home in the 200m sprint in 60 seconds flat.

Ghirlando, a newcomer, made a keen effort to leave his mark but just lost out in the final 50 metres crossing the line in 1:03.10.

Cadet paddler Andrea Tanti secured an impressive third place, 6.05 seconds behind Pollacco and Ghirlando.

The Clubman Sprint League is designed to encourage sprint canoeing and kayaking being open to newcomers to the sport as well as canoeists who would normally be interested in touring.

An informal competition to compliment the existing sprint races, organised by the Sprint and Marathon Racing sub-committee, it acts as an entry level where novice sprinters can judge their progress from week to week over the ICF's 200m and Olympic 500m distances. The more experienced sprinters also compete over the Olympic 1,000-metre distance.

Further information may be obtained by visiting the federation's website www.mcu.org.mt or by phoning 7939-2338.