GSSE 2025 – Day One Recap (as at 9:30 pm)
Team Malta made a good start to their campaign at the Games of the Small States of Europe in Andorra, securing a total of 16 medals on the opening day of competition, including five golds, five silvers and six bronzes, placing them in fifth position in the table.
The gold rush began early with Jessica Vella clinching the top prize in Karate Kata, setting the tone for what would become a landmark day for the Maltese contingent. In the pool, Sasha Gatt powered to victory in the 800m freestyle, outpacing Monaco’s Lisa Pou in the final metres to take gold in a time of 8:49.74.
There was also glory on the track as Gina McNamara produced a sensational final sprint to win the 800m, while Malta’s women’s doubles table tennis team, Maria-Carmelia Iacob and Renata Strbikova, successfully clinched gold with a 3-0 victory over Cyprus in the final.
In gymnastics, Malta’s women secured a stunning gold medal in the team event, underlining their strength across disciplines.
The silver medal haul was equally impressive. Jared Micallef delivered a strong run in the men’s 800m, while Nirvana Micallef came agonisingly close to gold in the 200m butterfly, settling for silver by just over half a second. Jemima Farley held her own in the 10-kilometre race, claiming another silver on the track. Sophie St John shone in the All-Around gymnastics, and the mixed 4x400m relay team added another silver after a national-record-breaking performance.
Malta’s bronze medals reflected the country’s competitive depth. Janet Richard claimed third in the women’s 800m, while Ibrahim Koska earned bronze in the karate-84 kg category. The men’s doubles table tennis team also made the podium, as did gymnast Philippa Busuttil in the All-Around event. Thea Parnis Coleiro placed third in the 100m women’s sprint, and Beppe Grillo grabbed bronze in the men’s 100m.
There was also promising progress in tennis, where Elaine Genovese secured a straight-sets victory 6-1, 6-3 over Iceland’s Anna Sofia Gronholm to move into the women’s singles quarter-finals. However, it was disappointing for the men’s doubles pairing of Matthew Asciak and Alex Degabriele, who were beaten 6-2, 6-4 by Monaco in their opening match.
Meanwhile, in 3×3 basketball, the Maltese teams experienced mixed fortunes. The men’s team suffered four consecutive defeats, losing twice to both Andorra (19-18, 20-18) and Cyprus (21-15, 21-16), despite pushing their opponents close in several matches.
On a more positive note, the women’s team impressed with three wins from four games. They began with a dominant 21-11 win over Cyprus, followed by a 15-11 victory against Andorra. Although they slipped to a 16-10 defeat to Luxembourg, they bounced back with an 18-14 win over Monaco, keeping their medal hopes firmly alive.
As the curtain came down on Day One, Malta’s athletes had already exceeded expectations, ending the day with a medal tally of five gold, five silver and six bronze, along with encouraging performances across several other disciplines.
