The 2012 athletics calendar starts next Saturday afternoon with the first pre-season meeting at Marsa organised by the Malta Amateur Athletics Association.
However, for some members of the national team competition time has already begun with participation in events abroad ahead of the international indoors season.
Last week, Rebecca Camilleri (Pembroke Athleta) competed in Ancona, Italy, and returned home with some very creditable results over the 60m. She clocked 7.77sec and 7.76sec for the shortest of sprint distances.
On Sunday, Camilleri’s team-mate Andy Grech participated in an open meeting in Lee Valley, reaching the final in the 60m where he bettered his personal best for the distance to 7.07sec.
Lee Valley, the training base for the Xuereb twins, saw more Maltese athletes testing their legs at this early stage of the season.
Martina Xuereb (La Salle), who this year decided to make the switch back to the 400m event, ran in her first indoor race for some time. She won her 400m heat in a time of 62.20sec.
Francesca Xuereb (La Salle) ran the same distance in 59.69sec also winning her heat.
Neil Brimmer (Żurrieq Wolves) took part in the 400m event in Lee Valley last weekend and won his heat in 52.22sec, this being a national best for the event.
Brimmer then doubled the distance at Lee Valley on Sunday, again winning his heat with a new personal indoor best of 2min 02sec.
On the jumpers’ end, Alessandra Pace (Pembroke Athleta), currently studying in the UK, competed in the triple jump with a great season opener of 11.89 metres.
Today, newly-crowned Sportswoman of the Year Diane Borg (La Salle) will be in action at the indoor European circuit in Vienna. She will also run in the Linz meet on Thursday.
These athletes are supported by the Maltese Olympic Committee through the Elite Athletes Scheme.