Ushan skips competition in US, shifts focus to meet in Kazakhstan to strive for Olympic qualifying standards

by Reemus Fernando

High jumper Ushan Thivanka will skip the weekend’s competition in US due to health concerns but will continue his fight to earn qualifying standards for Tokyo Olympics. He was ready to take a long costly trip to Washington to obtain visas for the crucial championship in Kazakhstan where he will get a final opportunity to strive for the Olympic berth.

The US based high jumper told The Island that he would skip the weekend’s competition in the US after his doctor advised against competing. He said instead he will now focus on competing in the championship in Kazakhstan.

Sri Lanka Athletics decided to send country’s top notch athletes who are closer to qualifying standards to the competition in Kazakhstan with the hope of giving them a final opportunity to impress.

Thivanka who has improved by leaps and bounds after earning a scholarship to the Texas A&M University–Commerce is currently placed 49th in the Road to Olympics rankings. He needs to be within the first 32 in that rankings or achieve a height of 2.33 metres to obtain a direct qualification to the Tokyo event.

Ushan cleared 2.30 metres to improve his national record last month but could not produce his best at last weekend’s Division II Athletics Championship in the US as the championship was held in unfavorable cold weather conditions in Michigan.

“The service of a doctor has been made available to me by the University after I cleared 2.28 metres. The doctor’s advice is to skip the weekend’s competition. That leaves me with just one option that is to compete in Kazakhstan (to reach Olympic qualifying standards). Sri Lanka Athletics has done the documentation work for me to obtain visas but I have to make a long trip to Washington if I am to obtain visas for Kazakhstan. I will have to do that since that is the last opportunity I have,” said Ushan.

Country’s track and field athletes will have three weeks (until June 29) to reach qualifying standards but lack of quality competitions to produce their best has diminished their chances.

While steeplechaser Nilani Ratnayake has almost secured her ticket (35th in the Road to Olympics rankings) to Olympics, thrower Sumeda Ranasinghe (43rd) is the closest to entry standards in the men’s category. Italy based sprinter Yupun Abeykoon, who is likely to compete in a few meets in Europe before the qualifying deadline closes, is ranked 60th in the Road To Olympics rankings.