Aquatic Sports correspondent Alex Vella reviews the swimming events of the San Marino 2017 Games of the Small States of Europe against a background of statistical data.
The twelve swimmers selected to represent Malta in the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) in San Marino have generally lived up to expectations when they obtained seven places on the podium, five in individual and two in team events.
Coach Artem Goncharenko banked on the established trio of Andrew Chetcuti (one silver and one bronze), Michael Umnov (one silver) and Matthew Zammit (one bronze). These three swimmers delivered when winning these four medals between them.
There was also the added bonus of Michael Stafrace who placed third in the 100 metres Breaststroke.
Together with Matthew Galea and Thomas Wareing these swimmers also obtained podium places in two team events.
Twenty-five year-old Chetcuti comes in for particular mention for his consistency when maintaining his medal winning sequence in these Games.
A gold medal once more proved elusive, with the only top prize being won by Angela Galea in Andorra in 2005.
However, the MOC’s policy of wider accessibility to these Games through a less stringent qualification process could prove fruitful. Swimmers like Wareing and Jeremy Bugeja must have reaped rich dividends through their inclusion in the team.
Beyond the medals, national records were a priority, with the male swimmers setting three new marks, one in individual and two in relays and the females leaving their mark with two new limits, one each in individual and team events.
The inclusion of new faces in the female ranks such as Mya Azzopardi who managed to erase Gail Rizzo’s 20-year-old 200 IM record, Francesca Falzon, Leah Tanti and Alexandra McGonigle to complement the presence of the thoroughbred Amy Micallef has provided the female swimmers with the desired impetus ahead of the Montenegro Games in two years’ time.
Over the years swimming has been dubbed as the cinderella of Maltese sport due to the fact that the progress of other nations in this discipline has by far leapfrogged ours in most events especially the longer races.
In recent years Maltese swimmers have been fully immersed in a rehabilitation programme aimed at closing the widening gap in standards in relation to other countries of more or less equal size as much as possible.
In several events except the men’s 50 and 100 metres freestyle this has become an arduous task.
Nevertheless, the MOC is now taking the plunge to make qualification more possible so that windows of opportunity would open up for the younger swimmers.
Statistics reveal that since Maltese swimmers started competing in these Games in 1993 they won 34 medals, missing out on a medal only in 1995 and 2009.
Besides Galea’s gold the other medals were 13 silver and 20 bronze, with Chetcuti picking the bulk of our country’s podium places.
A look at swimming national records set this year shows that 11 new marks have been registered, eight in individual and three in relay events.
2017 records
A. Chetcuti: 100 free - 50.92
T. Wareing: 200 back - 2:13.08
M. Umnov: 200 breast - 2:25.62
M. Azzopardi: 50 back - 31.73
M. Azzopardi: 200 IM - 2:26.81
A. Micallef: 50 breast - 33.98
A. Micallef: 100 breast - 1:14.13
A. Micallef: 200 breast - 2:40.83
4x100m medley (men and women)
M. Azzopardi, A. Micallef, L. Tanti, F. Falzon Young - 4:26.92
T. Wareing, M. Umnov, A. Chetcuti, M. Stafrace - 3:52.58
4x100 free
A. Chetcuti, M. Galea, M. Umnov, M. Zammit - 3:28.88