Bradley Mifsud has set sights on breaking the 60-­metre barrier next season. Photo: Wally Galea

Whilst the series of Maltese national records broken in recent years bear testament to the progress of local athletics, most have come on the track.

Field events remain more of a challenge even because these events appear to attract fewer athletes.

This trend is shifting, albeit slowly, thanks to a concerted effort by a number of coaches to raise the level of their athletes and in recent years, Bradley Mifsud has proven to be one of the most successful young field athletes.

“My parents registered me with Pembroke Athleta when I was six,” he says, talking about his journey in the sport.

“At that time, I was taking part in fun runs and some road races for my age-category. Then, when I was nine, I started training with coach Angie Mangion through whom I tried many events before eventually choosing to specialise in the long jump, doing quite well at it.”

I’m also aiming to hit the 67-metre mark because that would allow me to qualify for the World and European Junior Championships

That changed five years ago when a meeting with throws specialist Genz Dapi prompted Mifsud to see what he could do in those particular events.

“I tried them all – shot, discus, hammer and javelin – and found that I liked them all. It was very tough to pick one but eventually I went for the javelin,” he said.

“In truth, whilst I had a talent for it, it still took me some three years in order to really start learning the technique.”

Despite the inevitable learning curve, Mifsud quickly set about proving his worth on a national level, winning the junior javelin championships for the past three years and thus raising the national mark in the category when he threw his 800g implement 59.55 metres to set a new junior record.

Bradley’s status as one of Maltese athletics’ rising stars was confirmed by his selection in the squad that took part in the 3rd League of the European Team Championships held in Georgia last June where, at 18, he was the youngest male member of the squad.

“It was a great experience,” is how he describes the trip.

“At first, I was a bit excited by the prospect of competing against athletes from other European countries. But then I calmed down and focused on my own performance.”

Such is his focus on his results that there is a tinge of disappointment when he talks of the past year, despite the massive improvement that he has shown.

“I wanted to beat the 60-metre mark this year, so it was a bit frustrating that the best I could do was 59.55m. In training I’ve thrown the javelin as far as 62 metres so I know that I can do it but what happens in training doesn’t count. I have to do it in competition,” Mifsud said.

“I believe that I can do it whilst my coach Genz Dapi has told me that I have the potential to reach that target and more. So, it is just a question of time.”

By his own admission, Mifsud needs to focus on weight training to increase the speed in his throws. Managing to put in the hours of training, however, has proven to be a bit of a challenge.

“I’m currently working towards my A Levels. I’m at school from eight till five meaning that I have to train afterwards,” he explained.

“It can be a struggle but I’m doing my best to balance time between school and athletics. So far I’ve managed quite well.”

His thoughts now are on next season where, exams or not, he has even more ambitious targets.

“I want to beat the national record,” he said (the current national record was set in 2007 by Jean Paul Callus and stands at 63.89m).

“But I’m also aiming to hit the 67-metre mark because that would allow me to qualify for the World and Euro Junior championships.”

Ambitious goals but for an athlete who has come so far in such a short space of time, they are not impossible.