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Producing a continent best time smiling

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Dilshi’s is the best time by an Asian born athlete in 2020

by Reemus Fernando

When Army’s Dilshi Kumarasinghe turned tables on senior contenders to win the women’s 800 metres title at the 98th National Athletics Championship a journalist acquainted with statistics asked in disbelief: ‘can you run a personal best smiling.’ In fact the former Ratnayake Central, Walala runner’s winning time of 2:02.80 seconds was not only her personal best but also the best time run by an Asian born athlete this year according to the statistics updated by World Athletics on Wednesday.

This piece of statistic should not be misunderstood with her Asian ranking. Her personal best has powered her from 14 in 2019 to sixth place in Asian rankings with compatriots Nimali Liyanarachchi and Gayanthika Abeyratne still occupying third and fifth ranks in Asia. Though it would take a couple of good performances to improve her Asian and World rankings further, her outstanding performance will attract the interest of many as it is the fastest time run by an Asian born athlete this year. Asia’s fastest time was run by Bahrain’s Kenyan born Nelly Jepkosgei in October.

What was remarkable in Dilshi’s victory was the ease in which she produced the notable performance. She was actually smiling, and as pointed out later by her coach Susantha Fernando she was very relaxed even during the punishing phase of the race and ‘did not use up everything in the tank.’

The 21-year-old also shattered a psychological barrier in winning as she edged out the higher ranked favourites. At the 2019 Nationals she played second fiddle to experienced Nimali Liyanarachchi finishing second in 2:04.48 seconds. That was a year after she had won the Asian Junior Championship and the South Asian Junior Championship medals.

Last year, when she was entrusted with the task of taking the place of experienced Nimali and 400 metres champion Nadeesha Ramanayake at the South Asian Games she did it with aplomb. She won three golds and emerged as the most successful athlete from Sri Lanka. Despite training being hampered at times due to the pandemic this year, she has kept up to her promise kindling new hopes. Up until last week talk was of a two horse race to the Olympic spot in the women’s 800 metres. But now there are three which augur well for the discipline.

It is no easy task slashing seconds from her personal best and achieving the direct Olympic entry standard of 1:59.50 seconds. But with a few months remaining for the cutoff date and Sri Lanka Athletics looking forward to conduct a couple of meets ahead of the Asian Athletics Championships and the Olympics enthusiasts can keep their fingers crossed.

Sri Lanka Athletics took a tough decision to conduct the 98th National Athletics Championship before the year-end under trying conditions. Athletes were without competitions since the South Asian Games in 2019. Special emphasis had to be given to conduct the four day event under strict health guidelines due to the outbreak of a second wave of the Covid 19 pandemic. With athletes like Dilshi performing up to expectations Sri Lanka Athletics’ decision to conduct the Nationals has paid off.



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Track and field action from Diyagama

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Olympian Sumedha Ranasinghe was the winner of the men’s javelin throw as he cleared a distance of 78.31 metres.

The Track and Field season commenced with some of the best athletes in the senior and Under 20 age categories producing notable performances during the two-day Junior and Senior Selection Trial concluded at Diyagama on Tuesday. Here are some action pictures from the day two of the event.

(Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

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Dharshana’s false start dampen an otherwise remarkable day

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Tharushi Karunaratne beat Nadeesha Ramanayake to win the women’s 400 metres.

by Reemus Fernando

Sprinter Aruna Dharshana gave athletics fans both joy and heartache on an otherwise remarkable day as the Junior and Senior Track and Field trials concluded with a number of athletes achieving their personal bests at Diyagama yesterday.

Athletics analysts were waiting for Dharshana to reach his personal best in the men’s 400 metres final after the Army athlete produced the best performance in the heats where as many as five athletes clocked sub 47 seconds. When Dharshana followed up his 200 metres winning time of 21.12 seconds with a feat of 46.43 seconds in the 400 metres many expected him to produce a sub 46 seconds performance in the final.

But the shocking foul start meant that he will have to wait for more than a month to test his true potential. Incidentally, Kalinga Kumarage, who was off-colour in the heats (47.51 secs – second in heat 3) won the final with a feat of 46.27 seconds. However, 100 metres sprinter Medhani Jayamanne who was disqualified for a foul start in the women’s 100 metres heats was not so unlucky, as athletics officials gave her an opportunity to compete in the women’s 100 metres final, though her place was (2nd) not recognised. She clocked 12.16 seconds in the final.

Chamod Yodasinghe reached his personal best to win the men’s 100 metres.

In Dharshana’s absence four others, namely, Kumarage, R.N. Rajakaruna, Dinuka Deshan and Pabasara Niku clocked sub 47 seconds.

In the corresponding women’s 400 metres, schoolgirl Tharushi Karunaratne continued to shock her senior counterparts. Having won the women’s 800 metres on day one, the Ratnayake Central prodigy also bagged the 400 metres victory as she clocked 53.41 seconds to beat Asian Championship participant Nadeesha Ramanayake.

In the men’s 100 metres Chamod Yodasinghe reached his personal best as he clocked 10.37 seconds to win the final.

In the women’s 100 metres final, Rumeshika Ratnayake clocked 12.01 seconds to win running against the wind (-2.9). In the heats, she clocked sub 12 seconds.

In the morning, Gayanthika Abeyratne finished the women’s 1500 metres just three seconds shy of her national record mark as she clocked 4:12.53 seconds to win closely followed by steeplechase national record holder Nilani Ratnayake. Abeyratne’s national record established last year stands at 4:09.12 seconds.

In the Under 20 age category events Malith Yasiru produced the second-best performance of the Asian region in the Under 20 boys’ triple jump this year when he cleared a distance of 15.43 metres to win the event.

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Sri Lankan sailing teams compete in Pakistan

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The Sri Lankan national team of two sailors and one windsurfer, with the Navy team of a sailor and a windsurfer, were invited to participate at the first Chief of Navy Staff International Sailing Regatta 2023 held from March 14 to 20 in Karachi, Pakistan. Twelve countries including Australia, Bahrain, Croatia, Egypt, China, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey had sent their teams to Karachi. The Sri Lankan national team consisted of Laser Standard sailor (ILCA 7) NGMU Ghanawardene, Sri Lanka Navy, Priyantha Gunawardene, Sri Lanka Navy participating in the Windsurfing RSX Class and Laser 4.7 (ILCA 4) sailor Tharen Nanayakkara. The Navy team consisted of Laser Standard sailor (ILCA 7) JMPL Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Navy and WAS Weeratunge, Sri Lanka Navy participating in the Windsurfing RSX Class.

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