Special Feature

Malta in the San Marino 2001 GSSE

 The Road to San Marino - Swimming

Swimming is one of the compulsory disciplines at the games together with athletics. Malta has always found the going tough in this discipline although it has to be stressed that a heated fresh water pool was only constructed in 1993 for the games in Malta.

In fact, no Maltese swimmers were present in San Marino for the first ever edition of the games and t was only four years later in Cyprus that our swimmers experienced their baptism of fire at the games which turned out to be a disastrous one indeed.

Yet, two years later in Andorra, Maltese swimming notched its first ever bronze medal as Katya Pace finished third in the 100 metres breast stroke. Swimming experienced its moment of glory in 1993 in Malta. Our female swimmers won a total of eight medals in the pool including two silvers for Malta's best ever result in swimming at the games.

Since then, swimming has experienced a downslide with only three more medals claimed in three editions of the games.

In San Marino, our young squad will be facing a stern test in the pool against the likes of Cypriots and Icelanders who often dominate all the swimming events. Yet, the San Marino games are considered as a platform for our young swimmers to gear up for their performance in Malta in 2003.

Under the guidance of experienced Hungarian coach Attila Selmeci, our contingent of nine swimmers has been following a tough training programme. The youngsters turn up at the national pool just before six in the morning for a 90 minute training session. They are back in the water by four in the afternoon, day in day out. Lately examinations have led to coach Selmeci undertaking tailor-made training schedules to suit the needs of the young swimmers while they sat for their academic examinations.

Attila Selmeci was appointed as coach of the national side in August 1999. His contract has recently been renewed for another two year period. Local swimmers took part in various international competitions including the Sicilian regional championships in Ragusa. The ASA has also organized an international meet in Malta in the third week of April.

The swimmers are currently benefiting from the sparring partners agreement as brokered by the Malta Olympic Committee. Two foreign swimmers have already spent a number of days training alongside our young swimmers. Graham Beegan who is the Irish champion in the 200 metre individual medley together with a young Hungarian girl who is being tipped as a future world champion spent a fortnight in Malta to help local swimmers in their training programme.

Meanwhile, three Dutch swimmers are also in Malta to help in the tapering of the training schedule of local swimmers before they embark on the tasks awaiting them in San Marino.

Dr Michael Gialanze, vice-president of the ASA and chairman of the Swimming Board stresses that the San Marino venture will serve as the ideal tonic for our young swimmers to gear up enough experience for the next edition of the games which will be held in Malta.

The swimming contingent is made up of Roberta Callus, Lara Callus, Nicky Abela, Angela Galea and Elaine Farrugia. The male squad comprises Mark Buttigieg, Neil Agius, John J. Tabone and Ian Diacono.

Gail Rizzo who is currently engaged as assistant national coach will be making the trip to San Marino to assist Selmeci during the games. The ASA has forked out the expenses for Rizzo to make the trip with the rest of the contingent. All swimming events will be contested over a four day period commencing on Tuesday 29th May at 10.00am. The first finals will be contested in the 200 metres backstroke.

With 32 gold medals up for grabs, the race is on for the leading nations like Iceland and Cyprus to notch as many medals as possible in the pool. This outcome will be reflected in the final table of standings of medals won at the GSSE.