The seventeenth edition of the Joe Gerada Memorial Track and Field Meeting, organised by Pembroke Athleta, provided a competitive end to the athletics calendar and produced several notable performances across multiple age groups. The annual meeting once again attracted a wide range of athletes and served as a platform for strong results ahead of the new year.
The meeting featured three national best performances. Beppe Grillo recorded a time of 6.79 seconds in the Under 23 60 metres, Jacques Borg clocked 7.16 seconds in the Under 16 60 metres, and Ella Borg Degiorgio cleared 3.00 metres in the pole vault, setting a national best in the Under 16 category. These results stood out as key highlights of the event.
Pembroke Athleta athletes featured prominently across several disciplines. In the boys Under 12 long jump, Kaine Micallef won with a leap of 4.58 metres, setting a personal best, while Riccardo Agius and Julian Carl Borg completed the podium. Borg also achieved a personal best. Micallef later added another strong performance by winning the Under 12 60 metres.
In the hurdles events, Matthew Asciak claimed first place in the boys Under 14 75 metres hurdles with a personal best time, while Kristina Azzopardi won the girls Under 16 60 metres hurdles. Azzopardi also secured victory in the girls Under 16 300 metres later in the programme.
Sprint events produced several competitive races. Beppe Grillo topped both the heats and the final of the men open 60 metres, while Claire Azzopardi won the women open 60 metres final. Jacques Borg secured first place in the boys Under 16 60 metres, reinforcing his national best performance earlier in the day.
Field events also delivered consistent results. Bradley Mifsud won the men open discus throw with a distance of 51.28 metres, while Taisiia Nishknina claimed first place in the women open competition. Ella Borg Degiorgio added another win in the women open long jump, while Eric Peng topped the men open long jump.
Middle distance races saw strong performances across the youth categories. Carl Grech won the boys Under 16 1000 metres with a personal best time, while Karina Mia Peresso claimed victory in the girls Under 14 event, also setting a personal best. Chanelle Bezzina secured first place in the women open 800 metres to conclude the meeting.
The Joe Gerada Memorial Meeting once again provided valuable competitive experience for athletes of all ages. The range of performances and personal best results underlined the importance of the event in the local athletics calendar as athletes prepare for the upcoming season.
