National short course records for Sammut
Maltese team in Lyon meet
Mark Sammut, presently part of the Kelly College Swimming squad under the charge of former Olympian Robin Brew, and following an academic course at the college in Tavistock, Plymouth, registered two national short course records last weekend while competing in the Devon County Short-Course Championships.
The swimmer, currently also benefiting from the Youth Development Scheme of the Kunsill Malti għall-Isport, improved the 50 backstroke and the 100 butterfly by 0.37 and 0.82 seconds respectively when clocking 28.86 and 59.48 in both races to erase the two previous marks held by Neil Agius since October.
In Devon, Sammut was second in the open 100 fly and won silver also in the 100 IM (1:05.06) and bronze in the 100 freestyle (55.18).
Meanwhile, Sammut teamed up with the ASA national swimmers for the 13th International Swim Meet currently underway in Lyon, France.
The Maltese swimmers are racing against those from Italy, France, Britain, Switzerland, Romania, Luxembourg, Iceland, New Zealand and Tunisia.
The squad is made up of Andrea Agius, Neil Agius, Jonathan Boffa, Daniel Galea and Robert Micallef (men), with Rhea Cutajar, Davina Mangion, Melinda Sue Micallef, Nikki Muscat and Talisa Pace making up the women's team.
Mark Galea and Chris Agius, president and secretary respectively of the ASA Swimming Board, are accompanying the team.
Before leaving, coach Andy Colbourn said: "This is a good opportunity for the squad to take part in high level competition prior to the forthcoming Easter International Meet to be held in Malta, and also an opportunity for all to hopefully return to their personal best times after the difficult period when the pool at Tal-Qroqq was closed last December."
Muscat, Galea and Sammut had a good start in Lyon when they broke three age-group 'D' records.
Muscat clocked 29.93 in the 50 butterfly to improve the mark set last year by Pace by 0.24 seconds, while Galea and Sammut improved their own limits in the one-lap breast and back races respectively, the former registering 31.74 (previous 32.11) and Sammut stopping the watches on 29.19 (29.82).