Kids Weightlifting Competition

This past weekend, the MWA made history by organising their first ever Kids only weightlifting competition.  With the incredible work done by the MWA together with SportMalta initiative ‘On the Move’ over the past year, the number of youth athletes has increased by a massive amount. Given this, the MWA saw fit to organise a competition directed solely towards allowing these youth athletes to compete amongst themselves. This meet saw 19 youth athletes compete with some veteran faces, and some new ones too.

11 year old Kim Camilleri finished with 25kg Snatch and 32kg clean and jerk which are both personal best lifts and breaking 4 national records in the cadet age group in the process. 9 year old Julia Grima, who has been showing massive improvements in the few months since she started, finished with 17kg snatch and 21kg clean and jerk. Grima also managed to break 2 national records in her age class. Another great result came from Aaliyah Gatt, who is only 11 years old and managed a 16kg snatch and 20kg clean and jerk.

Of course, now very well known in the Maltese weightlifting world, Tenishia Thornton had the best result in the youth category, ending with 48kg in the snatch and 60kg in the clean and jerk. Thornton is in the process of preparing for a massive competition later on this year, the Youth European Champs.

The boys also had a great showing with the best result coming from 16 year old Tristan Zammit. The youth athlete, who participated in an international training camp only a few weeks ago, has improved his lifts by massive amounts. Zammit finished with 97kg in the Snatch and 120kg in the clean and jerk, only 1kg shy of a national record in his weight class. Rylee Borg, 13 years old, finished the competition with 61kg in the snatch and 75kg in the clean and jerk, with his c&j lift being good enough for yet another national record at this meet. Another respectable result came from Blake Attard, who managed a 40kg snatch and 45kg clean and jerk.

This meet will hopefully be the first of many Kids only competition, especially seeing as it was such a great success.