Mario Aquilina
Maltese sailor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mario Aquilina (born 18 November 1975 in Birżebbuġa) is a retired Maltese sailor, who specialized in the Laser class.[1] He represented his nation Malta in two editions of the Olympic Games (2000 and 2004), and has been a full-fledged member of the Birzebbuga Sailing Club throughout his sailing career, training under head coach Peter Valentino.[2][3] Having the prestige to represent his nation in two Olympic Games, Aquilina has been nominated several times as the Sailor of the Year by the Malta Sailing Federation.[4]
Malta | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Mario Aquilina |
| Nationality | Malta |
| Born | 18 November 1975 Birżebbuġa, Malta |
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) |
| Sailing career | |
| Sport | Sailing |
| Club | Birzebbbuga Sailing Club |
| Coached by | Peter Valentino |
| Class | Dinghy |
Aquilina made his official debut, as a lone sailor, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he placed thirty-seventh in the Laser class with a remarkable grade of 272, surpassing Singapore's Stanley Tan by a three-point advantage.[5][6]
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Aquilina qualified for his second Maltese team, as a 29-year-old, in the Laser class by granting a tripartite invitation from the International Sailing Federation.[2] Unlike his previous Olympics, Aquilina could not upgrade his position with a net score of 339 points and a thirty-ninth-place effort in a fleet of forty-two sailors.[7][8]
