Several Maltese swimmers have been hitting the headlines and as a result of their records they are setting the trend for other youngsters to follow. ALEX VELLA has more...
The first to spring to mind are the holders of national records, Andrew Chetcuti, Andrea Agius and Edward Caruana Dingli, the first mentioned having lately obtained the MQS in the 100m freestyle for the forthcoming Lux-embourg GSSE.
Others are the vast-improving Matthew Zammit, siblings Neil and Nicola Muscat, Julian Harding and Amy Micallef. All these swimmers’ performances currently or over the past few years have been outstanding.
It is no co-incidence that the Muscats, Harding and Micallef share 55 individual junior and five national records. This is a staggering total of 60, or as many as all the other swimmers’ age-group and national records put together.
All the swimmers mentioned and many others tick high grades in many of the boxes specifying perseverance, dedication and other qualities in a sport that has discipline as its basis.
Neil, 14, has 24 category records in three age-groups to his credit as well as a national record he holds jointly in the one-lap medley relay.
This includes all the 13 records in the B category, a feat which cannot be surpassed.
His elder sister, Nicola, boasts 11 age-group marks, four in C and seven in D, with another five national records, plus three more held as a member of the freestyle relay teams.
Muscat’s latest limits, however, go back to 2011. The girl’s best events have been the free and back.
Harding, 17, is another talented lad who is at the moment setting standards for others to emulate. He is the holder of five category C records and six in the older D age-group.
This swimmer is particularly strong in the butterfly and breaststroke but is also adept in the other strokes, having also inserted his name as a record-holder in the individual medley.
Micallef is included in the group of four on the strength of the nine records she holds, even if the latest four marks in group C are not brand new as they were registered last year.
Her favourite strokes are in the breast and fly events but her category B and C limits in the individual medley are proof of her skills and speed in the other strokes.
Pia Grech and Michaela Millo, both national record holders, are other swimmers who also deserve special mention after performing well in the last months, as does the already mentioned Zammit who is currently passing through a bright spell in England with personal bests in the one and two-lap freestyle races.
Zammit swims for Plymouth Leanders.
Andrea M. Agius, Kristina Fino, Sarah Demicoli, Andrea Bellia, Mya Azzopardi, Francesca Falzon and others cannot be left out of the frame, either, since they have been showing remarkable improvement with new marks or personal bests in different categories.
Considering the possibility of more inroads by these performers and other promising ones the way ahead is bright.
For more statistical purposes there are 36 individual record-holders in all categories, 21 juniors and 15 seniors, with four swim-mers featuring in both.
There are seven males and eight females in the 17 listed events for the seniors. Six of these 15 are still active in the sport.
Males: Ryan Gambin (5 records), Andrea Agius (3), Andrew Chetcuti (3), Neil Agius (2), Edward Caruana Dingli (2), Mark Sammut (1), John J. Tabone (1).
Females: Nicola Muscat (5), Angela Galea (3), Madeleine Scerri (3), Gail Rizzo (2), Roberta Callus (1), Pia Grech (1), Michaela Millo (1), Fran-cesca Paolella (1).
Waterpolo
Today’s BOV Winter League fixtures at the National Pool:
6.45pm Sirens vs Marsaxlokk.
8pm Valletta United vs ASA U-17.