Gina McNamara produced a stunning late surge to successfully defend her gold medal in the women’s 800 metres, leading a memorable Maltese double podium finish at the GSSE in Andorra.
McNamara, who was trailing in third place heading into the final stretch, unleashed a powerful sprint in the closing metres to overtake both Cyprus’ Stavrini Filippou and teammate Janet Richard, clocking a winning time of 2:10.01.
Filippou, who had led for most of the race, had to settle for silver in 2:10.85, while Richard secured bronze just a second behind in a time that ensured Malta’s dominance in the event was firmly underlined.
The result marks a significant achievement for Maltese athletics, with McNamara’s successful title defence reaffirming her status as one of the competition’s standout middle-distance runners.
Meanwhile, Jenima Farley lived up to expectations in the 10-kilometre race, securing a well-deserved second place and claiming a silver medal in the process.
In the meantime, both Rosalie Borg and Luke Bezzina narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the 3000-metre steeplechase, each placing fourth in their respective events.
