William Chetcuti delivered further evidence of his extraordinary shooting talent yesterday, setting a new world junior double trap record on his way to winning the European Junior Championships in Nicosia, Cyprus.
The young shooter, voted Malta's sportsman of the year for the past two years, clinched top spot on the podium in the ISSF European Junior Championships after hitting impressive scores of 49, 48 and 49 in the first three rounds over 50 clays each to establish a new world junior record of 146. Chetcuti's score eclipses the previous mark of 145 set by Italy's Stefano Narducci in 1998.
In the barrage, Chetcuti, winner of a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games two years ago, smashed 46 clays for a winning total of 192.
According to Jimmy Bugeja, Chetcuti's coach who accompanied him in Cyprus, the Maltese shooter's aggregate score also bettered that of the top shooter in the seniors event. However, Chetcuti's result did not count for the seniors title as he was registered in the juniors category. The winning score in the seniors' competition was 183, nine less than Chetcuti's.
Australia's Michael Diamond holds the world double trap record of 147 clays, just one better than Chetcuti's new junior best.
Contacted by The Times in Nicosia, Chetcuti said: "This European title and world junior record must rank among the biggest achievements of my career.
"Last year, I competed with the seniors and just missed out on the quota after placing fourth. This year, I have topped the juniors competition and my total is higher than that of the winner in the seniors."
Chetcuti, winner of a gold medal in the double trap event at last year's Games of the Small States of Europe in Malta, outshone some of the continent's best shooters yesterday.
His latest success in international competition is a welcome boost for Chetcuti who has received an invitation from the International Olympic Committee to take part in next summer's Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
"Winning the European Junior Championship in my build-up for the Olympic Games is a big confidence-injection before Athens," Chetcuti remarked.
"I cannot really comment on my chances of gaining success at the Olympics because in this sport, much depends on the shooter's form on the actual day of competition. The likelihood of doing well in the Olympics would definitely increase if I manage to emulate the form I have shown today."