Maltese Paddler Mattea Micallef Shines at South Skåne Ocean Race 2025 MALMÖ

 SWEDEN – September 21, 2025 – Maltese kayak athlete Mattea Micallef, 19, delivered a standout performance at the South Skåne Ocean Race 2025 in Malmö, Sweden, securing a first-place finish in the Women's U23 category and a strong fourth-place overall.

Currently undertaking an Erasmus program in Oslo and training with the Oslo KajakKlubb, Micallef traveled to Malmö to compete in the challenging 25km race. The conditions tested paddlers with south-westerly winds averaging 13 knots and gusting up to 19 knots. This wind direction created a technical course, with waves hitting paddlers from their right side for the duration of the race.

Micallef finished with a time of 2:16:27, placing her just 39 seconds behind the third-place finisher and a podium finish in the overall women’s category. The top four women's results were: Emma Levemyr in first (1:59:30), Astrid Hjorth in second (2:11:11), Chloe Nauta in third (2:15:48), and Mattea Micallef in fourth (2:16:27).

Micallef's remarkable performance saw her compete against some of the world's top-ranked athletes. Emma Levemyr is ranked first globally in the Women's 45-49 category, Astrid Hjorth holds the second-place world ranking in the Women's 35-39 category, and Chloe Nauta is ranked 22nd in the world in the Women's Senior category.

Reflecting on her race, Micallef said, "I felt I had a good race! I managed to catch up to Chloe at one point, and we were trading blow for blow for most of the race, but she put in a good effort towards the end that I couldn't match."

The club would like to extend its gratitude to the Oslo Kajakklubb for their support in Micallef’s training while in Oslo, as well as to Nextwave Surfski and Malmö Canoe Club for their invaluable assistance in Sweden.