'Maltese in right frame of mind in Luxembourg'

As the national triathlon squad members were making their final preparations for this weekend's Triathlon Championships for the Small States of Europe to be held in Luxembourg, national coach Steve Trew expressed his confidence of positive results.

"I believe that there is a considerable self-belief running through the team at the moment," he said.

"We have focused very much on mental strength and mental conditioning. It was a pleasure to see the condition that Mark Zammit brought back after having been exposed to training with the Danish national squad.

"He has moved up a level and I believe that these championships will be a stepping stone for him onto the world stage."

Last year, Maria Mifsud Bonnici finished just 15 seconds behind overall winner Jackie Komes. This time round, study commitments will be keeping Mifsud Bonnici away but Trew believes that her replacement, Marylynn Bezzina, also has the ability to do well.

"Marylynn has taken it upon herself to travel to the UK and take part in intensive weekend training camps," Trew said.

"The exposure for Marylynn of being around strong, competitive athletes and being treated as an equal by them has made her believe more in herself and her abilities."

The rest of the squad is made up of David Galea, Gordon Camenzuli and Michael Gellel.

"David, Gordon and Michael have been the stalwarts of the national team for some time," Trew said.

"David has so much talent as seen by his selection for both the cycling and running teams over the years. Gordon analyses everything and uses his knowledge as a coach to make the very best of himself.

"Michael has demonstrated he has the ability to go even further."

Higher profile

Elizabeth May, the athlete from Luxembourg who finished a high eighth place at the Olympics last year, will compete in the championships.

The presence of the promising May, still 22, raises the profile of the race and triggers speculation on her chances of finishing with the top three male triathletes.

The best athletes of both Luxembourg and Monaco, who last year dictated the podium finishes in Cyprus, will again all be there.

From the humble beginnings in Malta six years ago when just three nations took part, the championships have grown into an international event with the participation of over 35 triathletes from Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco.

Certainly, this qualitative and quantitative force can hardly be ignored in future by the Executive Committee of the GSSE when they come to decide on the sports for future editions.