Ryan Gambin for European Championships

Ryan Gambin will be representing Malta in the European Swimming Championships in Eindhoven next week, a Maltese Olympic Committee statement said yesterday.

Athletes from 40 European countries will be competing in three disciplines in the March 18-24 competition, namely swimming, diving and synchronized swimming.

The statement said that Gambin's participation was made possible through the partnership agreement that the MOC has with the Malta International Airport.

Gambin, 22, has been practicing his sport since 1992. He will be Malta's only representative in the championships and will be competing in the 50m free, 50m fly, 50m back and the 100m fly.

His major target in Eindhoven will be to beat the qualifying time for the Beijing Olympics in the 50m free (23.13s) and 100m fly (54.71s) respectively.

Gambin, who is a member of the MIA Bronze Athlete Scheme of the MOC, is positive on his chances of achieving the qualifying standard especially in the 100m fly where he is already hitting 54.34sec, the statement said.

At the recent time-trials, organised by the ASA Malta, Gambin broke a series of national records.

In the 100m fly he clocked 55.74s to better the previous mark of 58.41. He lowered the 50m fly record of 26.93 when he swam 25.06.

His other two records were in the 50m free (24.70) and the 50m back (28.37s).