Maltese Athletes Shine At Inaugural Tallinja Youth International Athletics Festival

The inaugural Tallinja Malta Youth International Athletics Festival proved to be a major success, delivering an impressive display of sprints, jumps and throws despite the demanding seasonal heat.

The event brought together young Maltese athletes and strong international competition, creating a valuable opportunity for local talent to test themselves against some of Europe’s emerging prospects on home soil.

Among the standout performances, Matteo Gauci (La Salle) set a new Under-16 national best in the 800m, winning in a closely fought race in 1:58.92, just ahead of Italy’s Matteo Ferrari in 1:59.32, in what was a tactical and hard-fought contest.

Italy’s Riccardo Ghidotti took victory in the Under 16 men's 100m category with 10.83s, with a 2.9m/s wind, while Malta’s Jack Borg Pullicino (11.36s) and Jake Vella (11.65s), had the two best performances in the Under 18.

In the girls’ 100m, 29 athletes competed across the two age groups, with Italy’s Natalia Olchowik winning in 12.31, while Maltese athletes Carey Spiteri (12.67) and Nicole Balzan (12.71), both from Rush AC, secured encouraging podium finishes.

The quality of the international participation was further underlined in the 100m hurdles, where Italy’s Lucio Arienti claimed victory in 12.81, narrowly missing his own Italian record by just 0.05 seconds.

Athletics Malta President Mario Bonello thanked all volunteers, coaches and officials for their dedication in delivering the event, adding that the federation is committed to building on this foundation and returning with an even bigger and stronger youth festival next year.

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