Sprinters eye GSSE

Besides providing local competition, the ‘aggregate’ meetings currently underway at the Matthew Micallef Stadium in Marsa are this year taking on another purpose, one that occurs every second year.

The reasons for this are the attempts by a number of athletes aspiring for inclusion in the team of the Games for the Small States of Europe.

The sprints are usually the hottest contentions, mainly because for these popular events there are usually quite a few contenders for a place in the Malta squad. Furthermore, the sprints provide the ticket via the relay events.

Due to a false start in the men’s 100m sprint, which had to be re-run, this event was not contested by the current top athletes the second time round, but not so the same event for women.

Diane Borg (Starmax) is rapidly regaining her sheen and has remained unbeaten at this event this season. She clocked a good 12.36 seconds against a strong headwind.

Charlene Attard, at her second appearance following last year’s injury, is also regaining her past strength, boding well for the GSSE team.

In the 200m, the male sprinters had another event to test their mettle. Karl Farrugia continued to show his early-season promise, winning handsomely in 22.46secs, again against a headwind.

Another GSSE hopeful, Pembroke’s Owen Camilleri, came in second behind the Allcomers sprinter.

The more established female athletes were absent in this event; nonetheless, some names that will soon be quite as popular as their peers are fast entering the athletics scene, among whom the sisters Fitz, the elder, Rachel winning the senior 200m event.

In the 200m for youths, Nicole Gatt (Starmax) and Thalia Massa (Pembroke) are showing the promise that indicate that they are ready to take over from the seniors any time soon.

In the longer 1,500m, Mark Herrera posted a time of minimally over four minutes to come within a whisker of achieving the MQS for the GSSE, which he is likely to gain at his next opportunity, given the right atmospheric conditions.

The other event of note during the Aggregate Meet was the one-lap sprint for men.

In an exciting tussle, Matthew Croker, Steve Camilleri and Neil Brimmer fought it out tooth-and-nail.

Brimmer, coming strong out of the last bend, proved once again to be the man of the moment, posting a good time of 50.26 seconds, with both Croker and Camilleri finishing right behind the Żurrieq Wolves sprinter.

At the jumping pit one still has to witness exciting results, but these are liable to occur any time soon now, as those in the throws.

The next meeting of the series will now be held this afternoon, where other fancied pretenders in various events are expected to put in an appearance.