Amasha clocks fastest time in SL since Susanthika in 2006
Sprinter Amasha de Silva stole the limelight at the 98th National Athletics Championship as she clocked a sizzling 11.55 seconds to win the 100m women’s event.
Competing on day three of the competition, the 21-year-old hailing from Swarnamali GC Kandy returned to her first competition since last year’s South Asian Games, clocking a personal best of 11.64 seconds to win the heat. The way she ran in the heats was an indication that she was gearing up for a much faster time in the finals, especially with RumeshikaRathnayake making her return since missing out from the last SAG to offer her stiff competition.
In the final Amasha renewed her personal best and became the fourth fastest SL100m woman in history behind RumeshikaRathnayaka, DamayanthiDarsha and Susanthika Jayasinghe. Rumeshika clocked 11.88 seconds to finished second, while Amasha’s team mate from the South Asian Junior Championship in 2018, Safiya Yamic, came in third clocking 12.05 seconds.
This time also marks the fastest time by a female athlete in SL since Susanthika Jayasinghe’s 11.33 seconds in 2006, and second fastest overall for last 12 years, only behind Rumeshika Rathnayaka’s 11.51 in Australia in 2018.
Amasha who trains under Sanjeewa Weerakkody, came to the limelight in 2018 when she won four Gold medals at the South Asian Junior Championship (100m,200m, 4x100m and 4x400m). She then went on to win two Silver medals in the 100m and 200m at the Asian Junior Championship in Japan the same year, while also representing the 4x400m Bronze medal team. She also represented the country at the World Junior Championship the same year and qualified for the semi-finals, giving positive hopes for the nation.
2019 did not go her way as she could not better her personal bests from 2018. Yet she managed to win a Bronze medal in the 100m and then anchored the 4x100m relay team to win the Gold medal at the SAG before the pandemic halted her progress.
“It was a tough year for everyone. I’m now studying at the University of Sri Jayawardanapura and was balancing both studies and training when the COVID-19 Pandemic forced us to stay indoors, where I lost about two months of training. But when the lockdown was imposed due to the second wave it gave me a better opportunity to train,” said Amasha after the race.
Amasha’s time has qualified her to be included in Sri Lanka’s Elite pool of athletes. She has also achieved the qualification standard set by Sri Lanka Athleticsfor the Asian Championship 2021, which is 11.60 seconds, though there will be another selection trial for the Asian Championship next year.
Meanwhile,Himasha Eashan defended his 100m National title once again clocking 10.27 seconds. Eashan too did not have a great 2019. He lost his SAG fastest man title in 2019 to Maldive’s Hassan Saaid and the South Asian record for the 100m to Italian based Yupun Abeykoon, who ended up shattering both records clocking 10.16 seconds. Since then, Eashan was itching to get back to the track, but did not get an opportunity until yesterday.
In the meantime, Asitha Rathnasena, former National 400m hurdle champion Asanka Rathnasena’s brother, won the 400m hurdles title clocking 52.9 seconds, while Asanka had to settle for the Bronze medal. Lahiru Prasanjith running from lane-9, ran a breathtaking last 100m to clinch the Silver medal, doing the catching up act after a relatively slow first 300m.
South Asian Gold medalist HashiniBalasooriya won the women’s Triple Jump title with a leap of 13.07m, while Nadeeka Lakmali returned to win the women’s Javelin Throw title with a throw of 53.97m. She beat South Asian Games Gold medalist DilhaniLekamge, who had to settle for the Silver medal.
In the morning, SAG medalist K. Shanmugeswaran was beaten by A.K. Tharanga in the 10,000m. Tharanga clocked 30 minutes 42.15 seconds to win the event.
Results
Men
10000m: 1. A.K.Tharanga 30:42,15 sec, 2.K.Shanmugeswaran 31:07.52 sec, 3. S.D. Gunasekara 31:16.67 sec
Pole Vault: 1. S.E.Janith 4.70M,2. G.S.Jayantha 4.30M, 3. R.P.Murugayya 4.30m
High Jump:1 C.L.Mendis 2.10m, 2. Sanju Tharuka 2.05m, 3. RoshenDulmith 2.00m
400m hurdles: 1. AsithaRathnasena 52.09 sec, 2. Lahiru Prasanjith 53.22 sec, AsankaRathnasena 53.23 sec
100M: 1. HimashaEashan 10.27 sec, 3. Chanuka Sandeep 10.49 sec, VinojSuranjaya de Silva 10.50 sec
Women
Triple Jump: 1. HashiniBalasooriya 13.07m, 2. Rashmi Nirodha 12.63, 3. A.T.Lakshani 12.06m
Shot Put: 1.Tharika Fernando 14.10m, 2. NadeekaMuthunayaka 12.70m, 3. Priyangika Kumari 11.53m
Javelin Throw: 1. NadeekaLakmali 53.97m, 3. DilhaniLekamge 48.99m, 3. D.H.Maduwanthi 45.80m
100m Women: 1. Amasha de Silva 11.55 sec, RumeshikaRathnayaka 11.88 sec, 3. Safiya Yamick 12.05 sec
400m hurdles: 1. Shyama Dulani 1:02.90 sec, 2. N.D.Wickramasinghe 1:03.22 sec, 3. SubhaniAbeyrathne 1:07.00 sec
