The Malta Weightlifting Association is proudly representing the nation at the European Juniors Championship currently taking place in Durres, Albania. The Maltese team features two promising athletes, Kim Camilleri Lagana and Rylee Borg. Unfortunately, last year’s European Champion, Tenishia Thornton, is unable to defend her title as she continues to recover from injury.
Kim Camilleri Lagana competed on Tuesday in the women’s 53kg category, delivering a strong and determined performance against some of Europe’s top lifters. She achieved a total of 161kg, with 69kg in the snatch and 92kg in the clean and jerk.
Camilleri began her snatch attempts confidently, lifting 67kg on her first attempt and following it with a successful 69kg lift. Despite a narrow miss at 71kg, she finished ninth in the snatch standings. She went on to make an impressive recovery in the clean and jerk, completing all three lifts at 87kg, 90kg, and 92kg to place fifth in that segment.
Her consistent performance earned her seventh place overall, finishing ahead of athletes from several major weightlifting nations including the AIN team, which represents Russia and Belarus, as well as France, Germany, and Great Britain.
The result marks an important milestone for Malta, as it contributes to qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Kim is now ranked sixth in the Commonwealth standings, holding a narrow one kilogram lead over Canada.
The women’s 53kg category was won by Italy, with Greece taking second place and Spain securing third.
Attention now turns to Rylee Borg, who will represent Malta on Saturday, 1 November, as the European Juniors Championship continues in Durres.
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