Team Malta tops medals table midway through day five of 2023 GSSE

Updated 6.55pm, adds 25th gold

Team Malta has continued to take the 2023 GSSE by storm climbing to the top of the medals' standing midway through the fifth day of the competition.

On Friday at 2pm, the unthinkable happened and the medals’ table saw Malta leading the way with a record 22 gold medals, 13 silver, and 17 bronze - a staggering total of 52 medals. 

That lifted Malta ahead of powerhouse Cyprus which, at the moment, has 21 gold, 17 silver and 20 bronze medals.

While things can still change by the end of the day, the achievement so far is a testament to Malta's huge improvement in the Games over the past four years.

So far on Friday, Malta has won two gold medals in tennis and two silver in rugby 7s. Francesca Curmi and Elaine Genovese won gold in the women’s doubles when they beat Luxemborg’s Molinaro and Mackerie 6-3 6-3. Later,  Matija Pecotic became the first Maltese athlete to win gold in the men’s singles when he beat Catarina, of Monaco 6-1 6-1.

Later, the 23rd gold medal and Malta's fourth gold medal in swimming was won by Georgia Bohl in the 50 metres breaststroke swimming. Her time was 32.04.

Georgia Bohl poses with her gold medal. Photo: Domenic Aquilina

The 24th medal came in squash when Colette Sultana and her sister Lijana Sultana (last two on the right in photo below) beat Johanna Rizzo and Amke Fischer. 

Colette Sultana and her sister Lijana Sultana (last two on the right) beat Johanna Rizzo and Amke Fischer. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Bradley Hindle Deguara and Kijan Sultana later completed a double in doubles beating compatriots Niall Engerer and Daniel Zammit Lewis 2-0 with an identical score of 11-9, getting the 25th gold for Malta.

Read our live blog on the 2023 GSSE on www.sportsdesk.com.mt