Iron Woman Sugandhi shatters SL record once again

Sri Lanka’s Iron-Woman, Lakshika Sugandhi, renewed her Sri Lanka record for the fifth time, in the process getting closer to 5,000 points with 4,911 points, at the Defence Services Athletics Championship continued at Sugathadasa Stadium .

She already improved the Sri Lanka record twice just within this year and will be eyeing to repeat it for the third time during upcoming Army athletics championship later this year.

Officials were not supportive of her cause as she had to re-run the 100m hurdle during the heptathlon due to an official blunder, where they failed to make sure that there were 10 hurdles in the race.

For a normal athlete competing in seven events in the heptathlon within two days can itself be torture, but the Iron Woman did not stop with seven, as she went on to join the 100m relay team which won the Gold medal for Army.

She is also expected to compete in the 100m and 100m hurdles today, making it more than 10 events at the three day Championship.

Sugandhi, who joined the Army as a regular soldier, has come a long way in athletics. She even represented the Sri Lankan 100m relay team at the South Asian Games, which won the Gold medal, while also representing Sri Lanka in the heptathlon during international open championships. She has also dipped under 14 seconds in the 100m hurdle, becoming one of the few Sri Lankans to do so in the event.

Meanwhile, in other events of the day, Pole Vaulter Ishara Sandaruwan was finally able to complete a top level competition this year after a streak of failures, (where he failed to clear any height), when he cleared 5.00m to win the event with a new meet record.

Sandaruwan the South Asian Games Gold medalist and record holder of the event, was expected to  improve towards the 5.50m mark after his gradual improvement over the years, but this year he failed to make an impression until now, and this leap will be a long awaited relief for him.

400m hurdler Shayama Dulani gave another impressive performance as she dipped below the one minute mark to clock her personal best of 59.83 seconds in the 400m hurdle, which was a new meet record. Shayama, from the Army, is the National champion of the event and has improved by leaps and bounds during recent times, and is the only athlete to dip below the one minute mark this year from Sri Lanka.

In the men’s 400m hurdle, two brothers finished first and second. National champion Asanka Rathnasena won the event for Air Force while his younger brother Asitha finished second for Army.

Decathlon athlete Ajith Karunathilaka won the Gold medal with another impressive performance of 6,961 points, which is a new meet record, but fell short of his Sri Lanka record which he set during last month’s Nationals.

Indunil Herath, who had a miserable final during the Asian Games, returned with a new meet record of 1 minute 48.00 seconds to win the 800m Gold medal, while Ishara Madurangi Perera of Navy set a new meet record in the discus throw with a throw of 44.36m.

In the men’s 4x100m relay, the Air Force anchor leg unfortunately dropped the baton with the finishing line just 10 metres away and they were disqualified after being well set to get second place.

A total of 8 new meet records has been established so far, including one Sri Lanka record. Today will be the last day of the meet.