Charlotte Wingfield: Malta’s Sprint Pioneer and Olympic Trailblazer
Born: November 30, 1994, Middlesex, England
Nationality: Malta / United Kingdom
Events: 100m, 200m, 60m (indoor), 4x100m relay
Club: Cardiff AAC (Wales)
Height: 176 cm (5’9.5″)
Weight: 69 kg (152 lbs)
Charlotte Wingfield stands as one of the most accomplished sprinters in Maltese athletics history. An Olympian, multiple national record holder, and five-time national champion, she has dedicated over a decade to representing Malta on the world stage while embodying the spirit of what it means to be a truly international athlete. Born and raised in England to a Maltese father, Wingfield has carved out a remarkable career that bridges two nations and has brought unprecedented success to Maltese sprinting.
Early Years and Discovery of Speed
Charlotte’s journey to elite athletics began in the most unassuming of places—the primary school playground. In Year 4, around age eight or nine, she was encouraged by friends to race the fastest boy in her year. She won. That victory sparked something that would define her life. Not long after, she found herself in an athletics competition against Year 7 students—children three years her senior—and still managed to finish third. The performance earned her an invitation to represent Middlesex in the English Schools Championships, though she was too young to accept at the time.
The talent was undeniable, however, and Charlotte was soon scouted and began competing at club level. Throughout her secondary school years, she developed steadily through the British athletics system, training and competing while balancing her education. By Year 10, around age 14 or 15, she earned her first England vest—a significant milestone that marked her emergence as a serious talent in British sprinting.
Youth Career and Early Success
Wingfield’s junior career saw her competing in the prestigious English Schools Track and Field Championships, where she established herself among Britain’s brightest young sprinters. At the 2010 English Schools Championships at Don Valley Stadium, she placed third in the Junior Girls 200m representing Middlesex. A year later, at the 2011 Championships in Gateshead, she claimed second place in the Inter Girls 200m—finishing behind none other than future world champion Dina Asher-Smith, with Amarachi Pipi of Middlesex in third. That podium finish alongside Asher-Smith, who would go on to become the fastest British woman in history, speaks volumes about the caliber of competition Wingfield was facing and the level at which she was performing.
These formative years in British athletics provided Wingfield with invaluable experience against world-class competition and laid the groundwork for her international career that would soon follow.
The Decision to Represent Malta
By 2014, Charlotte found herself at a crossroads. Despite her talent and dedication, she was struggling to break through the exceptionally deep field of British sprinters to earn selection for major championships representing Great Britain. Watching Malta compete at that year’s Commonwealth Games, an idea crystallized. Her father was Maltese, she held a Maltese passport, and Malta would embrace her talents in a way that the British system, with its overwhelming depth of sprinting talent, could not.
She reached out to Malta’s athletics federation, and they welcomed her enthusiastically. In 2015, Charlotte officially transferred her allegiance from Great Britain to Malta—a decision that would prove transformative for both her career and Maltese athletics. Within months, she was competing at the highest levels of international competition, wearing the Maltese colors with pride.
Breakthrough Year: 2015
Charlotte’s first full year representing Malta was nothing short of spectacular. She made her debut at the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she ran 11.69 seconds in the 100m and 24.32 in the 200m—both Maltese national records at the time. Perhaps most memorably, she was part of the Maltese women’s 4x100m relay team that won their heat at those Games, a moment of pure joy that Getty Images photographers captured as Charlotte and her teammates celebrated their victory at the Olympic Stadium.
That same year, she earned selection to represent Malta at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China—one of the most prestigious events in track and field. Competing against the world’s elite at just 20 years old, Charlotte gained invaluable experience on the global stage.
Olympic Dream Realized: Rio 2016
The 2016 season represented the culmination of a childhood dream. Charlotte qualified to represent Malta at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—the ultimate goal for any track and field athlete. Competing in the women’s 100 metres, she was drawn in the preliminary round against athletes from smaller nations, where she performed brilliantly.
Wingfield dominated her preliminary heat, winning comfortably with a time of 11.86 seconds—the fastest qualifier overall in that round. She was the only athlete under 11.9 seconds, with Cecilia Bouele of Congo the only other competitor to break 12 seconds. It was a commanding performance that advanced her to the first round proper, where she would face significantly stiffer competition including eventual gold medalist Elaine Thompson of Jamaica.
In Round 1, Charlotte finished eighth in her heat with a time of 11.95 seconds, not quite fast enough to advance to the semifinals. But the context matters: she was competing in the same heat as some of the fastest women on the planet, in an Olympic Games where Thompson would clock 10.71 to win gold, breaking the Jamaican national record.
Charlotte’s Olympic experience was crowned with a singular honor: she was chosen as Malta’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony—a testament to her standing within the Maltese Olympic delegation and recognition of her achievement in reaching the Games.
Peak Performance Years: 2017
The year 2017 saw Charlotte reach new heights in her individual performances. In January, she traveled to Glasgow for the indoor season, where she set a Maltese national record of 7.44 seconds in the 60 metres—a mark that still stands today. The following month, at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland (held in early March but part of the 2015-16 indoor season calendar), she continued to gain experience against the world’s best.
The outdoor season proved even more fruitful. On May 13, 2017, at the MAAA National Championships in Malta, Charlotte lowered her 100m national record to 11.54 seconds—a time that remains the Maltese national record. Just weeks later, on June 3, she achieved arguably the finest individual performance of her career: 23.78 seconds in the 200m at the Games of the Small States of Europe in San Marino.
That 200m time was particularly significant. It broke the Cardiff AAC club record that had stood for 35 years—Carmen Smart’s 23.84 from 1982—and earned Charlotte the club’s Athlete of the Month award for June 2017. The recognition from her Welsh club highlighted how she had become one of their most accomplished international athletes, even though she didn’t wear a Welsh or British vest.
Commonwealth Games and Major Championships
Charlotte has been a consistent presence at the Commonwealth Games, representing Malta with distinction. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, she competed in the sprints and continued building her international experience.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham marked a particularly successful campaign. Competing in her sixth heat of the 200m, Charlotte finished fourth with a time of 24.47 seconds—good enough to advance to the semi-finals. Though she didn’t progress beyond that stage, reaching the Commonwealth Games semi-finals represented a significant achievement for a Maltese sprinter.
She also anchored Malta’s women’s 4x100m relay team alongside Claire Azzopardi, Janet Richard, and Carla Scicluna. The quartet set a new national record of 45.59 seconds—breaking their own previous mark of 45.80. Charlotte was chosen as Malta’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony once again, reprising the honor she had received in Rio six years earlier.
National Records and Career Bests
Charlotte Wingfield holds or has held Maltese national records in multiple events, cementing her status as the most decorated female sprinter in the nation’s history:
Current National Records:
- 100 metres: 11.54 (May 13, 2017, Malta)
- 60 metres (indoor): 7.44 (January 28, 2017, Glasgow)
- 200 metres short track (indoor): 24.03 (February 4, 2023, Glasgow)
- 4×100 metres relay: 44.98 (May 7, 2023, Florence, Italy) — shared with Claire Azzopardi, Janet Richard, and Carla Scicluna
Personal Bests:
- 100 metres: 11.54
- 200 metres: 23.78 (June 3, 2017, San Marino)
- 60 metres (indoor): 7.44
The 4x100m relay record of 44.98, set in Florence in May 2023, represented a remarkable achievement for Maltese athletics—breaking the 45-second barrier for the first time in the nation’s history.
Games of the Small States of Europe
The Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) have provided Charlotte with opportunities to compete for medals against athletes from similarly sized European nations. She has been a regular competitor at these biennial Games, contributing to Malta’s medal tallies in both individual and relay events.
At the 2021 Championships (held as part of the delayed schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Charlotte won gold in the women’s sprint medley relay, demonstrating her versatility and her value to the Maltese team across multiple relay formats.
When Malta hosted the 2023 GSSE on home soil, Charlotte was again part of the athletics contingent, competing in front of her adopted nation’s fans. The women’s 4x100m relay team—featuring Charlotte alongside Claire Azzopardi, Carla Scicluna, and others—continued to push national record times.
European Team Championships
Charlotte has been a stalwart for Malta in the European Athletics Team Championships, competing in the Third League division against other smaller European nations. According to World Athletics, she has been part of two European Team Championships Third League-winning squads—a remarkable team achievement that reflects both her individual contributions and the overall strength of Maltese athletics.
At the 2021 European Team Championships, Malta registered its best-ever performance abroad, with Charlotte contributing points in the individual sprints while the women’s 4x100m relay team claimed third place. At the 2023 edition in Chorzów, Poland, she finished sixth in the 200m final with a time of 24.43 seconds, continuing to accumulate valuable points for Team Malta.
Education and Training
Charlotte attended Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales, where she earned a first-class honors degree in Sport Management, later completing a Master’s degree in Sport. Balancing elite athletics with academic demands was no easy feat—she has spoken candidly about the challenges of juggling training, studies, work, and personal life, acknowledging that it “did become quite draining” at times.
Throughout her career, Charlotte has split her training between Cardiff and Bath, two of the United Kingdom’s premier athletics training environments. She trains six days a week, with Saturday being her only rest day. Her training regimen includes track sessions and gym work, with the specifics changing significantly as race season approaches. The international nature of her competition for Malta means she often travels to various locations to train with the national team.
Charlotte is a member of Cardiff AAC, one of Wales’s most prestigious athletics clubs, and has been recognized multiple times for her contributions to the club’s international success.
The Reality of Semi-Professional Athletics
Unlike many elite athletes who receive full funding to train, Charlotte has had to balance her athletic career with work. She has spoken openly about working multiple jobs—at times up to three simultaneously—while training full-time. This reality is common among athletes from smaller nations or those outside the very top tier of their sport, and Charlotte’s perseverance through these challenges speaks to her dedication and passion.
“There are a few athletes out there who are fully funded to just train,” she has noted, “whereas I’m training full time and working three jobs at the moment. But I just think to myself, if I want to make it, there’s only one way I’m going to do it: by training hard and making the money myself.”
This work ethic and determination have been hallmarks of her career, inspiring other athletes from small nations who face similar financial realities in pursuit of their sporting dreams.
Mental Fortitude and Growth
Charlotte has been refreshingly honest about the mental challenges of elite athletics. She has acknowledged that she sometimes struggles mentally, describing moments where she stands on the start line and feels like she might “crumble.” This openness about mental health in sport has been valuable, helping to destigmatize discussions around the psychological pressures faced by competitive athletes.
“It’s not just about physical preparation,” she has reflected, “but you really need to prepare yourself mentally, too. It’s all about that positive mindset.”
She sought help to manage the balance between training, work, and personal life, finding that talking through challenges helped her approach things more healthily. Her willingness to share these experiences has made her a relatable figure to aspiring athletes facing similar pressures.
Current Status and World Rankings
As of early 2026, Charlotte remains active in international competition. According to World Athletics, she currently holds world rankings of #832 in the women’s 200m and #1535 in the women’s 100m—positions that reflect her continued competitiveness against athletes from around the globe.
She has been recognized as a five-time Maltese national champion across various sprint events and continues to be a key member of Malta’s relay teams. The 2026 season shows activity on her World Athletics profile, indicating she is continuing to compete and represent Malta.
Sponsorships and Social Media
Charlotte maintains an active presence on social media, particularly Instagram, where she has built a following of over 12,000 followers under the handle @charlottewingfield.oly. Her profile proudly displays her status as an Olympian and national record holder, along with the flags of both Malta and the United Kingdom.
She has secured sponsorship relationships with several brands:
- Power Plate UK – fitness equipment
- Puresport – sports nutrition
- Lone Wolf Sports Massage – recovery and therapy
- Grenade – sports nutrition (she offers the discount code CHARLOTTE25)
These partnerships, while perhaps not as lucrative as those of top-tier global athletics stars, represent meaningful support for an athlete who has had to be entrepreneurial in funding her career.
Legacy and Impact
Charlotte Wingfield’s impact on Maltese athletics extends far beyond her record books entries. She pioneered the pathway for British-born athletes of Maltese descent to represent Malta on the international stage. Her Olympic appearance in 2016 inspired a generation of young Maltese athletes who could now dream of following in her footsteps to the Games.
As a flag bearer twice over—at both Rio 2016 and Birmingham 2022—she has literally carried Malta’s colors before the world. Her willingness to embrace her Maltese heritage, to make the choice to represent a small island nation rather than pursue glory in a larger system, speaks to values that transcend mere athletic achievement.
She has shown that athletes from small nations can compete meaningfully at the highest levels of the sport. Her preliminary round victory at the Rio Olympics—winning her heat as the fastest overall qualifier—proved that on any given day, talent and preparation can shine through regardless of the flag on your vest.
Looking Forward
Now in her early thirties, Charlotte continues to compete at a high level. While the fastest times of her career came in 2017, she remains a valuable contributor to Maltese athletics, particularly in relay events where her experience proves invaluable. The women’s 4x100m relay record set in 2023 shows that she can still deliver when it matters most in team settings.
The coming years will likely see her continue to mentor younger Maltese sprinters while competing selectively at major championships. Her professional background in sport management and her Master’s degree position her well for a continued career in athletics after her competitive days conclude.
Charlotte Wingfield’s story is one of talent, tenacity, and the courage to forge an unconventional path. From racing schoolboys in the playground to carrying Malta’s flag at the Olympic Games, she has written one of the most compelling chapters in Maltese sporting history. For a nation of fewer than half a million people, to have produced an Olympian and multiple-time national record holder in the sprints represents a remarkable achievement—one that Charlotte has authored with every stride.
Connect with Charlotte:
- Instagram: @charlottewingfield.oly
Official Profiles:
