Triple jumper Claire Azzopardi breaks own national record in less than three months

Triple jumper Claire Azzopardi has broken the national triple jump record with a jump of 12.97 metres.

Azzopardi broke her previous national record which stood at 12.44 metres back in May.

She was representing the Pembroke Athleta Athletics and Triathlon Club, and was competing in the third edition of the Malta Amateur Athletics Association Summer Meeting competition. 

The national record was achieved from her first jump, with a perfect take-off from the board. 

On her second jump, Claire fell short of her previous distance with a jump of 11.98 metres, before equalling her former national record with a jump of 12.44 metres on her third jump. 

Her previous record was achieved while competing in the Europe Athlétisme Promotion, a circuit of international track competitions around the continent which brings together top-tier athletes from across Europe. 

Despite the event being her last national competition of the season, Azzopardi will be representing Malta once again next week in the European Team Championships in Croatia. 

She will be competing in the long-jump as well as the 4 x 100 relay race. 

Claire Azzopardi taking home the win during the Europe Athlétisme Promotion competition

This will be Azzopardi’s second international competition in the span of two months, after registering a 12.23 metre jump during the under-23 European Championships in Gävle, Sweden at the beginning of July. 

Claire returns back to her pre-season duties in September. “I want to thank my family for their continuous support as well as the great guidance offered by my coach, Jivko Jetchev,” she said. 

Spurred on by her recent achievements, Azzopardi is already looking forward to the upcoming season. “My aim is to keep improving on my previous performances and to continue breaking records. Next year we will be working on qualifying for Games of the Small States of Europe in 2021 as well as represent Malta at the Championships of the Small States of Europe,” she said.