After achieving the Atlas Youth Athlete of the Month for October, the young weightlifter Tenishia Thornton has now been awarded with the Atlas Youth Athlete of the Year Award 2024. For Tenishia Thornton it’s the third time after she has won the first edition of this award, which took place in 2020 and the 2022’s edition.

She won this prestigious award after a combined vote by a panel of three sports journalists and a public vote which was held online over the past weeks. Runners up are the Blackball duo Jake Castaldi and Dielyn Edwards followed by the young sailor Katrina Micallef.

Tenishia Thornton, aged 19, was crowned as the new European Champion at the European Junior Championships in Warsaw, Poland.

Thornton kicked off the Snatch portion with an impressive 86 kilogrammes lift and finally made a successful attempt at 89 kilogrammes. In the Clean and Jerk, Thornton started strongly at 107 kilogrammes, as she aimed for 110 kilogrammes, only to falter on the jerk. In her final dramatic attempt, she summoned every ounce of strength and determination, smashing the bar with a spectacular lift of 112 kilogrammes! Tenishia Thornton not only secured her spot at the top but also set a new national record. With a total lift of 201 kilogrammes, Thornton outpaced Spain who finished with 194 kilogrammes and Romania at 196 kilogrammes.

Tenishia Thornton was officially presented the annual award and the sports apparel voucher by Matthew von Brockdorff, Managing Director and CEO and Robert Micallef, Chief Commercial Officer of Atlas Insurance. The Malta Sports Journalists Association was represented by General Secretary Lorraine Cunningham and Administrator Stephen Azzopardi.

In the meantime, Atlas Insurance has confirmed that it has renewed the collaboration with the Malta Sports Journalists Association for another year in relation to this initiative aimed at promoting young Maltese athletes.

These awards are a joint initiative of the Malta Sports Journalists Association and Atlas Insurance. The adjudicating panel of this award takes note of all the youths’ achievements of the month under review and at the same time it invites local sport associations and federations to send in their nominations for consideration if they feel that any of their under-21 athletes have distinguished themselves during that month. All the monthly winners are eligible for the annual award.

Nominations for this award may be sent via email to info@maltasportsjournalists.com. The rules and regulations of the award can be viewed on the website www.maltasportsjournalists.com.

Photo caption: From left: Stephen Azzopardi, Administrator (MSJA), Lorraine Cunningham, General Secretary (MSJA), Tenishia Thornton, Matthew von Brockdorff, Managing Director & CEO (Atlas Insurance) and Robert Micallef, Chief Commercial Officer (Atlas Insurance)