Tharusha establishes back to back records at Sir John Tarbat Athletics Championships

by Reemus Fernando  

Tharusha Mendis of Lyceum International, Wattala commenced from where he left at the Sir John Tarbat Senior Championships to establish a new meet record in the Under 15 boys’ high jump as the much anticipated Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletics Championship commenced at Diyagama on Wednesday.

Mendis created a new meet record when he competed in the Under 16 boys’ high jump event of the Sir John Tarbat Senior Championships at the same venue in September. After having scaled a new meet record height of 1.96 metres in September, it was anticipated that he would renew the meet record in the Under 15 age category as well. Yesterday, Mendis cleared a height of 1.93 metres to lower the 2019 record (1.84m) held by A.K.D. Silva of Hegalla M.V, Kosgoda.

In sprint events Sasvidu Dinujaya Hettiarachchi of Dharmaraja College, Kandy clocked 10.1 seconds to establish a new meet record in the Under 12 Boys’ 80 metres. Hettiarachchi erased the 2009 record held by Damith Weerasinghe of St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya.

In the other events, Rajamanokaran Elipiriyan of Pallai Central College, Pallai (Under 15 boys’ javelin throw 50.76m), Rivija de Silva of St. Joseph’s College, Darley Road (Under 14 boys’ shot put 13.15m), Vishca Nimsara of Prof Ediriweera Sarathchandra Vidyalaya (Under 13 boys’ long jump 5.41m), Ashain George Thevarapperuma of Gateway College, Colombo (Under 12 boys’ long jump 4.96m), S.U.Rathnayaka of Lyceum International School, Wattala (Under 15 girls’ long jump 5.31m), T.S.S. Tennakoon of Loyola College, Pamunugama (Under 15 girls’ shot put 10.45m), Y.A. Abeywickrama of Visaka Vidyalaya, Colombo (Under 14 girls’ high jump 1.40m), K Gaweshi of Visakha BV, Sapugaskanda (Under 14 girls’ discus throw – 23.09m) and W.A.N. Nethumini of Darmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya (Under 12 girls’ high jump 1.26m) won the titles.