Caruana Turner third in vault

It was a red letter day for the Malta Gymnastics Federation yesterday as Philip Caruana Turner won a first-ever medal for Team Malta in the Apparatus final with a third place in vault.

Caruana Turner turned in a composed performance of strength and equilibrium to chalk up an excellent score of 13.875 that put him just behind gold medal winner Irodotos Georgallas, of Cyprus, 14.325, and Iceland's Vikto Kristmansson, 14.250.

Jeremy Saywell, the other Maltese in the competition, was fifth on 13.750.

"This is a great day for Maltese gymnastics," emotional coach Michael Brown said.

"Our objective coming to Monaco was to give our athletes experience but thanks to this result, we exceeded expectations. This medal should intensify our athletes' desire to better their level."

Brown also had words of praise for Saywell who came close to landing a medal in the floor event but had to settle for fifth place despite an accomplished exercise.

He totalled 12.500. The gold medal went to Iceland's Kristmansson who scored 13.550.

"Jeremy is probably feeling somewhat unlucky not to have won a medal," Brown remarked.

"My impression was that he was superior to the Cypriot and Luxembourg gymnasts but unfortunately the judges saw things differently," Brown said. "Jeremy is a very talented lad and his time will certainly come, too, no doubt."

Saywell also figured in the horse and finished eighth.

The other Maltese gymnast in the boys' final was Terrence Gatt. He was eighth in the rings and the parallel bars.

In the women's competition, Christina Borg finished seventh in the vault and fifth in the floor.