Team Malta came home from the 2019 Games of the Small States of Europe in Montenegro with 27 medals: six gold, twelve silver and nine bronze. Two fewer medals than in San Marino, but of a better colour: six gold against four, and twelve silver against nine. Barring the Liechtenstein Games, where squash was on the programme, it was Malta’s best result since 2005.
Lisa Marie Bezzina was the golden girl of the Games, winning the 5000m and 10000m. Jordan Gusman did the same double and added silver in the 1500m. Claire Azzopardi and Ian Paul Grech won silver in the triple jump, and Grech, Paula Grech and Damian Mizzi took bronze.
Shooting won four medals from five athletes. Eleanor Bezzina won gold in air pistol, flag bearer Gianluca Chetcuti retained his Double Trap title, and William Chetcuti won silver in both Trap and Double Trap. The swimmers won ten medals, among them silvers for Harry Stacey, Andrew Chetcuti, Alexandra McGonigle and both men’s relay teams. Elaine Genovese won bronze in the tennis singles and silver in the doubles with Francesca Curmi, and Jeremy Saywell won silver in judo.
“The objective for Malta was that of bettering the colours of the medals won in San Marino two years ago, and we managed to do that,” said MOC President Julian Pace Bonello, adding that there was still much to do ahead of the 2023 Games in Malta. Eighty athletes competed in eight sports, with Paul Sultana as Chef de Mission.
