Gianluca Chetcuti Wins Santa Marija Grand Prix with National Record

Gianluca Chetcuti produced a record-breaking performance on Sunday, 16th August, winning the Santa Marija Grand Prix at the Southern Shooting Club after hitting all 30 targets in the final under the new International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Finals format.

Chetcuti’s perfect final secured the gold medal ahead of William Chetcuti, who finished second with 26/30, while Emmanuel Bugeja claimed third place with 21/25.

The Trap competition was held over two days, with 27 athletes facing a demanding 125-target qualification stage in challenging conditions and extreme summer temperatures. Brian Galea topped the qualification standings with an impressive 121/125, followed by William Chetcuti on 120/125 and James Jr Galea on 119/125.

The remaining finalists were Gianluca Chetcuti (117/125), Emmanuel Bugeja (114/125), Abiel Cassar (113/125), Nico Sciberras (111/125 after a shoot-off) and Shazen Grech (111/125 after a shoot-off).

In the class categories, Galea, William Chetcuti and James Jr Galea placed first, second and third respectively in Class A. Abiel Cassar topped Class B, while Jeremy Vassallo won Class C.

Jason John Aquilina won Barrage B with 17/25. Brian Galea was the standout shooter across both days, scoring 73/75 on Day 1 and 48/50 on Day 2.

Nazzareno Attard won the Veterans Category, while Cassar was the best Junior Athlete.

The next Trap competition, the President’s Cup, will take place on 23 August at the Malta National Shooting Ranges.

#MaltaDaily