Nick Mercieca becomes first athlete to compete at Para Powerlifting European Championships

Malta Paralympic Committee
3 days ago
2 min read

Para athlete Nick Mercieca established a new personal best and new national record at the Para Powerlifting European Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia. This was the first time in history that Malta was represented by an athlete in Para Powerlifting at the European Championships.

19-year-old Nick Mercieca, who competed in the men’s up to 59 kg weight category, lifted a best of 114kg, improving by 4kg from his previous best recorded at the Para Powerlifting World Championships in October 2025. Nick achieved a straight nine white lights during the competition, lifting 106kg in round one, 111kg in round two and 114kg in round three.

In the Next Generation category (18 to 20 years old), Nick achieved 2^nd place for best lift (silver medal) and 1^st place for total lift (gold medal). The European Championships are an important milestone on the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, which remains Nick’s ultimate goal.

Nick was accompanied by coach Nigel McCarthy and team leader Dr Julian Bajada, Secretary General of the Malta Paralympic Committee. Commenting on the result, Malta Paralympic Committee commended Nick on his professional approach to competitions, saying that “Nick remains calm and composed, and has grown to enjoy the moment to showcase the hard work and commitment he put in over months and months of training. It is important for us that athletes enjoy and trust the process, whilst giving their best on the stage.”

Malta Paralympic Committee thanked Nick’s support team and sponsors, including his main sponsor BMIT Technologies, sports partner Eurosport Malta and healthcare partner The Radiology Clinic Malta, together with SportMalta who supported the team via the SportMalta International Participation Scheme.