Day One of competition at the 2012 COJI Games on Thursday produced one first placing and two runner-up spots for the Maltese contingent in Sardegna.
The Youth Games, with the participation of around 1,000 athletes from 12 islands representing eight nations, are considered by many NOCs as an ideal springboard for budding youngsters and their fledgling careers in sport.
Competition is being held in three cities – Cagliari, Sassari and Alghero. The closing ceremony is scheduled for next Tuesday.
Kirsty Caruana was first in her event in gymnastics and Adreana Zammit second overall.
Both gymnasts will return to the mat today for the individual apparatus along with 13-year-old Mia Vickery. The latter did really well on the opening day and qualified for three finals.
In athletics, Nicole Gatt was second in the 400m race despite being the youngest starter in the final and running from an un-favourable lane no.7.
She posted a time of 58.56.
Malta is represented by 13 members in track and field with most of them in action on the opening day of events.
In the 100m sprints, Luke Bezzina managed a creditable fourth placing in 11.54, while Eric Borg Saywell and Robyn Zammit also did well to figure in their respective finals in the 100m.
Clarissa Cremona ran in the 1,500m and Thomas Farrugia in the boys’ 400m.
Farrugia was also unlucky in the draw as he had to start from the outside lane no.8. He finished fourth but had he repeated his seasonal best of 50.43s he would have made it to the podium.
In field events, Luke Farrugia competed in the shot putt while in the long jump Bradley Mifsud was classified sixth with a personal best effort of 5.93cm.
The Maltese Olympic Committee contingent in Sardegna is headed by Director of Youth Envic Galea.
The group is composed of 80, between athletes and officials, from nine different sport – athletics, gymnastics, sailing, swimming, tennis, table-tennis, volleyball (women’s team) as well as two demonstration sports, namely, rugby and weightlifting.
This is the second time that Sardegna are hosting the Games after 2002, and fifth for Italy in the all-time list following the three editions of Sicily of 1999, 2006 and 2011 (Palermo).
Next year’s Youth Games will also be staged in Italy but this time at Isola d’Elba.