Dilni continues record breaking spree

By Reemus Fernando

Lyceum International Wattala prodigy Dilni Rajapaksha lived up to her reputation to bag the last remaining national level meet record of her age category in the long jump at the ongoing All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

The 14-year-old bagged the Under 16 meet record with an effort of 5.94 metres in her first jump of the best eight competition. She was the overwhelming favourite for the title after having cleared the six metres barrier more than once during the last couple of months.

The youngest athlete ever in the country’s history to clear the six metres mark in the girls category, Dilni was taking part in two events simultaneously. With the 100 metres semi-finals taking place simultaneously with the long jump she seemed to have exhausted as she reached the best eight in the long jump. She qualified for 100 metres final as the fastest in her semi-final before coming to complete the final three jumps in the long jump. “If she was not tired, she could have (cleared the six metres),” said her coach Damitha Dahanayake who has guided Dilni from the time she emerged from little known Buthpitiya Kanishta Vidyalaya.

On Friday she broke Gateway College athlete Sadeepa Henderson’s meet record (5.66m) of 2017.

Now she proudly holds all long jump meet records in the Under 16 age category from the Junior National Championship to All Island Schools Games.

Last month, she shattered one of the longest standing meet records of the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championship. She cleared the six metres mark twice to improve on the meet record held by former national champion Anoma Sooriyarachchi. She cleared 6.01 metres and 6.12 metres to erase the record that had remained unshaken for 29 years.

Her most impressive performance of the year was the stunning 6.26 metres feat at the Western Province Schools Games Athletics Championship.

She commenced the record-breaking spree with the 5.80 metres new meet record at the Junior National Championship early this year. With many impressive performances against her name this year she has clearly established herself as future prospect who has the potential to shine at global level one day.

The official results of the day one events on Friday were yet to be released when this story was filed.