Chiara chills out

Chiara barely slept with the adrenaline rush and excitement of last night, so she spent the day at the hotel unwinding and taking calls from well-wishers.

Apart from a couple of interviews lined up with foreign journalists later today, she has no other plans, except for a celebratory dinner with her relatives, who have come up to Moscow to support her.

Rehearsals don't start again before Friday, once the remaining 10 countries from tomorrow's semi-final would have been announced. This gives Chiara the chance to catch her breath and gain momentum for the final leap.

Everyone was in a cheery mood all day, relishing the fact that Malta would be competing in Saturday's final of the Eurovision Song Contest after an absence of two years.

From the outset, the main goal of PBS, which was entrusted with organising the local event for the first time, was to secure a place in the final, and Chiara was the person to break the spell.

Replying to comments made online that the delegation was "having a holiday" at taxpayers' expense, PBS chief executive Albert Debono said the delegation had ensured that the entire trip, complete with air fares and hotels, was funded through private sponsorships.

The budget for the Malta Eurosong Festival was €45,000 and this just about covered the organisation of the local event, it was pointed out.