The Malta Weightlifting Association successfully hosted the Malta Open Championships at the Marsa Sports Complex, bringing together an exciting day of competition, strong performances, and a record number of young athletes on the platform.
One of the standout performances came from 16-year-old Nathan Mifsud, who dominated the U17 category with a flawless six-from-six display. Mifsud lifted 100kg, 103kg and 106kg in the Snatch, before completing 118kg, 121kg and 124kg in the Clean & Jerk.
He finished with a total of 230kg and 336 Sinclair points, earning second place in both the Junior and Senior divisions while also setting four new national records. Mifsud is now entering his final preparations for the World Youth Championships in Colombia, which take place in three weeks.
Rylee Borg also delivered a strong performance, winning both the Junior and Senior titles. Borg successfully completed all six lifts, finishing with a total of 290kg and 354 Sinclair points, as he continues preparations for a series of high-level international competitions.
Mifsud placed second overall, while Luke Stefan Micallef secured third place with a total lift of 224kg and 330 points. Nathaniel Fenech finished fourth after opening strongly with 107kg in the Snatch and 140kg in the Clean & Jerk, ending with a total of 247kg and 313 points.
In the women’s competition, Tenishia Thornton was crowned Best Female Athlete after an excellent six-from-six performance, lifting a total of 186kg for 233 Sinclair points. Rheanna Briffa also impressed, producing one of her strongest competitions to date and placing second with 128kg and 191 points.
Among the younger athletes, Emily Livori won the U17 title with a total of 103kg and 160 points, while Gabriele Frendo claimed the U15 category with a total lift of 171kg and 233 points.
The future of Maltese weightlifting was also on display in the U12 categories. In the Boys U12 division, Danny Camilleri scored 122 points, followed by Samir Geriwa with 100 points and Matthias Zammit with 62 points.
In the Girls U12 category, Cayenne Mizzi scored 98 points, followed by Zeyah Vassallo with 83 points and Ellie Mallia with 58 points.
A strong showing for Maltese weightlifting, from established athletes to the next generation stepping onto the platform.
