Gayanthika silences critics with new SL record

Gayanthika Abeyrathne and Nimali Liyanarachchi, the 800m duo, took the middle distance running to a new destination as Gayanthika this time turned tables over Nimali to set a new Sri Lanka record in the concluded first National trials of the year at Diyagama yesterday, where a total of six new Sri Lanka records were set.

The duo broke one of the oldest SL records set by Dammika Menike in 1992 at the Jaffna National Sports Festival last year, but did not get their due recognition as Menike herself along with Susanthika Jayasinghe went around with various arguments claiming that the record was illegal. But here with proper synthetic track and electronic time in operation, Gayanthika clocked an amazing 2 minutes 02.55 seconds to set the record and beat her counterpart Nimali who was the front runner in the 800m for a while. Nimali herself clocked 2 minutes 02.58 seconds. Dammika Menike’s record read as 2 minutes 03. 85 seconds which Nimali broke by clocking 02:03.5 seconds at NSF in Jaffna last year.

“I was determined to shatter this record from the day I lost in Jaffna and wanted to prove a point to people who doubt my ability. I put in a lot of hard work and have been training in Nuwara Eliya for months and haven’t been home since October,” said Gayanthika after the race.

Nilani sets 3000m Steeple Chase Record

Gayanthika is trained by present Director of National Institute of Sports Science Sajith Jayalal, who had more to smile on the day as another of his athletes, Nilani Rathnayake, eclipsed her own Sri Lanka record in the 3000m steeple chase when she clocked 10 minutes 03.94 seconds.

Vidusha renews triple jump record

Triple Jumper Vidusha Lakshani turned out her usual performance as she shattered her own SL record with a leap of 13.64m, which will qualify her for the Asian Championship team too.

“Even after setting the SL record several times and jumping 13.41m last year I wasn’t included in the National Athletics pool and I was very sad when I got to know it,” said Vidusha, and it seems she had replied to her omission from the pool with better performances.

 

Ayesha renews Hammer throw record

Ayesha Maduwanthi, who had previously renewed the women’s hammer throw record a few times, once again improved the record with a better distance of 47.92m. Trained under Madhawa Senarath, Ayesha wasn’t too pleased about AASL conducting the event outside the main stadium of the Diyagama Sports Complex and she complained to the authorities for trying to demean the value of her pet event – the Hammer Throw.

Ajith shatters his own record

The other record of the day came from Decathlon Champion Ajith Karunathilaka who scored 6,884 points. With Anitha Jagathrdwaran’s pole vault record of 3.45m on day one, the two day event saw six Sri Lankan results shattered marking one of the most competitive local events held in recent years.

Waruna, Dilip set new heights

Meanwhile, in other events Dilip Ruwan and Waruna Lakshan were particularly impressive as Waruna threw 82.19m, becoming only the second Sri Lankan athlete to go beyond the 80m mark, the other being his training partner Sumedha Ranasinghe. Both athletes are trained by former record holder of the event Pradeep Nishantha.

Dilip Ruwan, the 400m champion returned to his near best as he clocked 46.46 seconds to win the men’s 400m, while Ajith Premakumara and Kalinga Kumarage both clocked the identical time of 46.76 seconds, but Kumarage won second place while Premakumara finished third. Dilip’s time is also the sixth fastest time by a Sri Lankan ever in the event and the first athlete since Prasanna Amarasekara to go below 46.50 seconds.

The others who have better times are Sugath Thilakaratne, Roshan Pradeep Kumara, Prasanna Amarasekara, W. Wimaladasa and Ranga Wimalawansha.

Results

Men
100m: 1. Mohommed Ashroff 10.68 sec,2. D.K. Wijerathna 10.90 sec, 3. Mohommed Safran 10.93 sec
400m: 1. Dilip Ruwan 46.46 sec, 2. Kalinga Kumarage 46.76 sec,3. G.A. Premakumara 46.76 sec
1500m: 1. D.H. Kumara 3:53.59 sec, 2. Sanjeewa Lakmal 3:53.82 sec, 3. T.R. Chathuranga 3:56.18 sec
3000m St.Ch: 1. M.S. Pushpakumara 8:55.80 sec, 2. S.Chandradasan 9:14.22 sec, 3.Suren Karunarathna 9:15.96 sec
High Jump :1. Manjula Kumara Wijesekara 2.25m,2. A.K. Pathirana 2:09m, 3. K.K. Guruge 2.05m
10,000m: 1. Upul Vijitha Kumara 31:32.00 sec, 2. Suren Ratnayake 31:43.24 sec, 3. P.M. Gunathilaka 31:4.22 sec
Javelin Throw:1. Waruna Dayarathne 82.19m, 2. Sumedha Ranasinghe 76.95m,3. Jagath Ranasinghe 73.33m
800m: 1. Indunil Herath 1:49.90 sec, 2. M.S. Kumara 1:50.18 sec, 3. Kupun Kushantha 1:50.29 sec
Triple Jump: 1. S.T. Seneviratne 16.07 sec,2. D.N. Thilakaratne 15.97m, 3. Sanjaya Jayasinghe 15.87m
400m Hurdle:1. Aravinda Chathuranga 51.67 sec, 2. A.I. Rathnasena 51.83 sec, M.S. Rajapaksha 52.85 sec
Hammer Throw :1. M.R. Sisirakumara 48.61m, 2. D.P. Alanson 47.59m, 3. K. Nilantha 45.3m
Decathlon: 1. Ajith Karunathilaka 6884 points, 2. P.D. Gurusinghe 6077 points, 3. Randika Gunasinghe 5782 points
Women
100m: 1. Rumeshika Rathnayake 11.92 sec,
2. Lakshika Sugandhi 12.32 sec, 3 .Shashika Vidanaguruge 12.40 sec
400m: 1. Upamali Rathnakumari 54.81 sec, 2. Nirmali Madushika 55.14 sec,3. D.P. Hansani 56.76 sec
5000m: 1. Anusha Lamahewa 17:21.41 sec, 2. H.T. Priyadarshani 18:02.80 sec, 3. W.C. Damayanthi 18:24.30 sec
Hammer Throw:1. Ayesha Maduwanthi 4.92m (NSLR), 2. Aruni Lakshika 45.90m,3. Manoji Amarasinghe 44.72m
800m: 1. Gayanthika Abeyrathne 2:02.55 sec, 2. Nimali Liyanarachchi 02:02.58 sec, 3. M.G. Dilrukshi 2:08.89 sec
1500m: 1. Gayanthika Abeyrathne 4:20.10 sec, 2. Champika Dilrukshi 4:31.00 sec, 3. M.N. Priyadarshani 4:33. 99 sec
400m hurdle: 1. N.D. Wickramasinghe 1:0.89 sec, 2. G.N. Lakmali 01:01.17 sec, 3. E.P. Kaushalya 01:1.37 sec
High Jump :1. Dulanjali Ranasinghe 1.81m,2. Purnima Gunarathne 1.78m,3. M.M. Madushani 1.60m
Triple Jump:1. Vidusha Lakshani 13.64m, 2. A.T. Lakshani 12.92 m, 3. Hansani Balasooriya 12.89m

Shot Put: 1. Tharika Fernando 14.46m,2. N.D. Muthunayake 12.55m, 3. Priyangika Kumari 12.08m
Heptathlon: 1. Shachithra Jayakanthi 4096 points, 2. S.N. Fernando 4052 points, 3. D.M. Ranasinghe 3398 points
3000m Steeple Chase: 1. Nilani Rathnayake 10.03.94 sec, 2. D.D. Kumari 11.14.91 sec, 3. Udaya Kumari 11:42.41 sec