Six-strong ASA team to take part for first time

Maltese swimmers will be breaking new ground this weekend when they are due to participate in the Luxembourg National Championships at the D'Coque National Sport Centre.

The six-strong team of Roberta Callus, Davina Mangion, Neil Agius, Andrea Agius, Adrian Buttigieg and Kyle Scerri will be joined by Neptunes swimmer Quelin Zammit, who is under the guidance of Gail Rizzo.

These swimmers will be accompanied by Andy Colbourn, who has been in charge of the ASA team for the last three months during which six national records have been registered, three individual and three in relays.

The men's relay team of Neil Agius, Andrea Agius, Buttigieg and Scerri will again be bidding to lower their own national records for the three relay races which were broken some weeks ago.

Neil Agius and Scerri will also attempt to set new marks in their respective events, the former in the 1,500m free and the latter in the 100 free, 50 and 100 'fly races.

Buttigieg will take part in the 100 and 200 metres 'fly in which he has been showing marked improvement recently. His sights are on securing a place in the top six in Luxembourg.

Andrea Agius is working hard to improve his breaststroke technique after a one-month soft period due to exams. He is due to swim in the 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke races and hopes to improve his PBs set in April.

Mangion will do the 200 free where she will be trying to break the national record she missed in the Easter Meet. She will also swim in the 200 'fly and the 400 free.

Callus, the longest-standing member of the team and holder of the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle national records, is looking forward to recapturing her form despite her professional commitments as a medical doctor.

Good experience

Zammit will be taking part in the 50 and 100 free and the 50 and 100 'fly. His coach Rizzo is confident that this swimmer will be able to gain invaluable experience in his bid for further improvement.

No doubt, the Luxembourg Championships will be a quality meet which should be a good yardstick for the Malta team to assess their progress, and at the same time provide them with a measure of their standing against one of the nations competing in the GSSE next year in Monaco.