Two golds in athletics, silver and two bronze medals in swimming

Malta chalked up the first gold medals of the 2002 FISEC Games yesterday at the athletics stadium.

First, pole vaulter Jason Monreal won his event without too much difficulty and then Rebecca Camilleri cleared 5.70m in the long jump which was good enough for her to finish on the highest place of the podium.

Earlier in the day, swimmers Lara Callus, Niki Abela and Davina Mangion, won three other medals during competition on the opening day of swimming.

Callus was very close to achieving a personal best time on her way to a silver medal in the 100m back event. She clocked 1:12.63.

Mangion and Abela hit personal best times in the 100m fly and 200m breaststroke respectively to win bronze medals. Mangion's time was 1:09.21 and Abela clocked 2:53.56. Abela also clocked a PB in the 50m breaststroke event.

Other personal best times came from Neal Agius, Kyle Scerri, Rachel Asciak and Tamsyn Sciortino, all swimmers in Attila Selmeci's national squad.

Mark Buttigieg was a fraction of a second away from a personal best time in the 200m breaststroke. He finished fourth in his race. He was also a whisker away from the third place in the 50m breaststroke.

British swimmers topped the medals' list yesterday winning eight golds followed by France on four.