Team Malta continued its participation in the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games over Friday and Saturday, with athletes competing in sailing, shooting, triathlon and tennis.
Fridayโs programme was largely confined to the water, with Maltaโs ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 sailors completing two races on the second day of their competition.
An unstable sea breeze, combined with extreme heat, created demanding conditions across the fleet. Some tactical errors affected Maltaโs sailors, with the closely packed fleet leaving little room for mistakes.
Despite the difficulties, the competition remains open, with four more days of racing still to come.
In tennis, Liam Delicata was initially scheduled to face a Greek opponent in the singles on Friday evening, but his opponent withdrew because of illness, giving the Maltese player a walkover.
Delicata returned to action on Saturday, facing Moroccoโs Karim Bennani in the singles. Despite a determined effort, the Maltese player was beaten 6-1, 6-3.
He then teamed up with Alex Degabriele in the menโs doubles, where they faced Spanish pair Alejandro Martรญ Pujolras and Alejo Sรกnchez Quรญlez. The Maltese duo lost 6-2, 6-2.
They are due to face Cyprus in the bronze medal match.
Bezzina misses out on shooting final
Eleanor Bezzina competed in the womenโs 10m Air Pistol qualification on Saturday morning, taking on a field of 26 competitors.
The standard at the top of the standings was particularly high, with Turkeyโs ลevval ฤฐlayda Tarhan leading the qualification with 573.0 points and Serbiaโs Zorana Arunoviฤ second on 572.0.
Bezzina recorded 547.0 points, which was not enough to secure a place in the final.
Nine athletes progressed to the medal round, with Franceโs Pioch and Greeceโs Michelaki both advancing after finishing tied on 568.0 points.
Azzopardi finishes 12th in triathlon
Kai Azzopardi produced Maltaโs best result in the menโs sprint-distance triathlon, finishing 12th overall in a field of 27 competitors.
Competing in extremely hot and windy conditions, Azzopardi emerged from the water in 13th place after completing the swim in 9:51.
He maintained his position among the chase group during the cycling leg before increasing his pace during the run to cross the finish line in 12th place with a total time of 56:51.
Ryan Muscat came out of the water in 23rd place, recording a swim time of 11:10. He maintained his position through the cycling section before finishing 22nd overall in 1:03:55.
In the womenโs event, Danica Bonello Spiteri was unable to complete the race after being withdrawn under the competition rules.
Italyโs Bianca Seregni dominated the race from the outset, building a significant advantage during the swim and maintaining a relentless pace on the bike. A number of competitors were caught out by the pace, including Bonello Spiteri.
Team Malta will continue its Mediterranean Games campaign on Sunday with further sailing and athletics events.
Claire Azzopardi and Graham Pellegrini will compete in the first-round heats of the 100 metres, while Jeremy Zammit will contest the long jump final and Jared Micallef will take part in the 800 metres heats.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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