Tharushi smashes 400 metres national junior record

Long jumpers shatter meet records

By Reemus Fernando

Asian Games gold medallist Tharushi Karunaratne produced the fastest performance ever by a schoolgirl in history in the Under 20 400 metres as she erased her own national junior record on day two of the All-Island Schools Games Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Tuesday.

The Ratnayake Central athlete, who was returning to local competitions following the Asian Games triumph, clocked 53.21 seconds to break her own national junior record in the 400 metres which she set early this year. The 800 metres specialist was also the record holder of the meet after having established the record at the last edition. The fellow Asian Games medallist Jayeshi Uththara of Holy Cross College, Gampaha returned a time of 54.44 seconds to finish second.

On a day notable for impressive long jump feats, Thevindu Sandil cleared 7.27 metres to create a new meet record in the Under 18 boys’ long jump. The St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya athlete erased the record held by Pramodh Madubashana of Maris Stella College, Negombo since 2017.

K.M.K.C. Karunarathne of Galamuna M.V. entered record books when he cleared 7.52 metres in the Under 20 boys’ long jump. The athlete from North Central Province broke a record that had remained unchanged since 2012. That record was held by Udaya Kumara of Prince College, Ratnapura.

Dilini Nethsala Rajapaksha of Lyceum International School, Wattala cleared a distance of 5.66 metres to establish a new meet record in the Under 14 girls’ long jump. Incidentally, the event’s Under 16 girls’ long jump record too is 5.66 metres.

When fastest girls and boys of the various age categories were chosen in the morning, Sayumi Fonseka of Our Lady of Victories Convent, Moratuwa pipped Risansa Hirupama and meet record holder Dhananjana Fernando of Lyceum International, Wattala to win the Under 16 girls’ 100 metres in a time of 12.78 seconds. Fernando was the favourite for the title after she clocked 12.62 seconds to establish a new meet record in the semi-final on Monday.

Dilki Dewmini Karunarathne of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo shot the put to a record distance of 11.47 metres in the Under 14 girls’ event.