Another Sizzling 10.24 seconds by Yupun in Switzerland

A Week after a record-breaking 10.16 seconds, Yupun Abeykoon returned to another sizzling 100m as he clocked 10.24 seconds in the 2020 Gala Dei Castelli, World athletics bronze level series meet in Switzerland to finished third earlier in the night (15th)
Defending Commonwealth Games champion Akani Simbini from South Africa won the event clocking 10.02 seconds while World junior silver medalist Tortu Filippo from Italy finished seconds with 10.07 seconds. Apart from those two, the race saw former European Champion Martina Churandy from Netherland, Hartmann Joshua from Germany, and Kemp Demek of USA in the finals.
The 25-year-old hailing from Pannala stunned Dessau’s arena last week (8th) to record a new South Asian record. He beat German Champion Denis Almas to win the 100m to shatter the South Asian and Sri Lanka record of 10.22 seconds set by Himasha Eashan in 2019 during the first National trials where he became an overnight sensation with congratulation messages from every corner of the island.
The youngster who is attached to the Electronic and Mechanical Engineering (SLEME) Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, left the island in 2015 to Italy on a scholarship for further training at Fiammegialle Sports Centre, Rome, Italy and has been shining there throughout the years, though injury occasionally hampered his progress.
National record from Yupun was a long time coming as he has been in sublime form throughout the last few years. Due to changes in the training schedule (Sri Lanka and Italy) he missed out on participating in many National level trials locally, which resulted in the doors being closed for him to represent Sri Lanka at major international events until last year. Also, winter in Italy always clashed with the Sri Lankan trials schedule, which falls early in the year from January to March, since international events such as the Commonwealth Games and Asian Championship are usually scheduled in April and May, the time when Yupun is just coming to competition standards in Italy following a long winter and indoor season.
Yupun now trains under coaches Raparelli and Licciardello. In Sri Lanka, he trained under coach Subadra and Dinesh Bandara when he was studying at Pannala National College. Then, he was under Chaminda Sampath after he changed schools for A/L (St. Joseph Vaz College Wennappuwa) until he left for Italy in 2015.
Yupun represented Sri Lanka at the South Asian Junior Championship in 2013 held in Ranchi, and won a Bronze medal with the 4x100m relay team at the World Military Games in 2015. Since then, he only represented Sri Lanka last year when he anchored 4x100m relay team to win the Gold medal at the South Asian Games.
Yupun was fortunate to be stuck at his training centre during the Covid-19 pandemic, where he got the opportunity to continue his training indoors during those months and was in the prime form before setting the SL record on Tuesday night. He ran a wind-aided 10.29 seconds on 29 August and followed up with 10.32 seconds on 1 September in Rieti. He then clocked 10.23 seconds in Heats of Anhalt 2020 and 10.16 seconds in the final week before jumping into the big league.
His stay in Italy also gives him access to international coaching facilities and regular competition, which local athletes can only dream of.