The decision taken by Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA), the Governing Body, to conduct the National Athletics Championship despite COVID-19 challenges has paid off handsomely, as according to the latest world ranking updates, several Sri Lankan athletes have broken into the top Ten of the Asian rankings, with Nadeesha Ramanayaka  (women’s 400m) and Nilani Rathnayaka (women’s 3000m steeplechase) being placed as high as second.

This is due to the National Athletics Championship of each country being ranked higher in the competition lists by World Athletics than some of the international events, such as South Asian Games, where athletes who are successful at National Championships get additional points for placing within the first three, which comes in handy for world rankings.

World Athletics introduced the world ranking system last year, which will be effective when selecting athletes for world events, including the Olympics and World Championships, where direct qualification standards have been tightened. With tough new qualification standards, only a handful of athletes are able to achieve this ahead of world events, and the rest of the quota for an event will be based on World ranking positions. World Ranking position is calculated based on the top five performance scores of an athlete for a particular event within that ranking period. The performance score is calculated based on results of athletes at a competition and the ranking of that competition.

• PERFORMANCE SCORE = RESULT SCORE + PLACING SCORE
• RESULT SCORE -based on latest editions of the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics (by Dr. Bojidar Spiriev) which can be found here.
• PLACING SCORE – Based on Category of the event and place obtain by the athlete – Refer here 

 

For example, an athlete who wins the 100m clocking 10.00 seconds in Asia, such as the Asian Championship, will be given 170 extra placing score, whereas the same athlete clocking the same time to win the National Championship will receive only 100 extra placing score. Winning lesser recognized international events such as South Asian Games with the same time will only give 40 extra placing score, even lower than the National Championship. All this information is available at the World Athletics website. This was done with the intention of selecting the most consistent performers for world events rather than one-time wonders.

Sprinter Nadeesha who returned to the track after missing last year’s SAG due to Dengue fever, has collected the highest-ranking score among SL athletes with 1147 points, and is ranked only behind Bahrain’s World and Asian number one Salwa Eid Naser. Nadeesha is also ranked 51 in the World in the 400m, but when taking into account only a maximum of three athletes per country can participate in a particular event, her ranking comes down to 48. Sinceonly 48 will get the chance to competeat the Tokyo Olympic Game sand Nadeeshais 51 on the list,she is three places out of qualification for the Olympics.

Nilani Rathnayaka. who is within the Olympic qualification quota at the moment, could not come close to her personal best in the 3000m steeplechase at the National Athletics Championship, but her earlier performances still enabled her to be ranked 2^nd in Asia and 35^th in the world. She is placed 30^thout of 45 in the current Olympic quota and has the best chance of qualifying for the Olympics among the current Sri Lankan Athletes.

Meanwhile, 800m runners Nimali Liyanarachchi is placed 3^rd while Gayanthika Abeyrathneis placed 5^thin Asian rankings, whereas current National Champion DilshiKumarasingheis ranked 6^th.This is due to Nimali and Gayanthika having extra placing scores from last year’s Asian Championships where both were finalists. Two Jumpers – Long Jumper Anjani Pulwansa and Triple Jumper Vidusha Lakshani– are both ranked 5^th in their respective events.

Vidusha did not compete in the Nationals and placed second in the SAG, yet her Asian Championship Bronze medal performance and National title from last year helped her to retain the top position in World ranking ahead of SAG Gold medalist Hashini Balasooriya. Similarly, Anjani Pulwansa’s consistent performance has been rewarded, where she is ranked 5^th in Asia ahead of current National number one Sarangi Silva.

Sarangi won at the SAG as well as 2020 Nationals, but was not a consistent performer in 2019 to be ranked in the World ranking system, while Hashini, despite winning at both SAG and Nationals, is still ranked below Vidusha in the ranking system.

In men’s events, Javelin Thrower Sumedha Ranasinghe, Triple jumper SreshanDhananjaya and 800m runner RusiruChathurangaare ranked within the top ten in Asia.All three competed in the finals of the Asian Championship last year, and placing score of that competition has come in handy for them to be ranked higher.

Of the three, 2016 Olympian Javelin Thrower Sumedha Ranasinghe is closest to making the Olympic cut, as there is a quota of 32 and Sumedha is in 33^rd position in that list.

As we have  already pointed out, it will be important that top SL athletes get a chance to compete at higher ranked international competitions as much as possible before the Olympic qualification deadline for them to have a chance at boosting their World ranking positions, as the new system does give a chance for SL athletes to qualify for world events through the ranking position, unless they are able to compete at regular intervals.

Top SL Athlete’s positions in Asian Rankings

(As At 29 December 2020)

Asian Ranking Position	Name	Event	Ranking Score
	Female
02	Nadeesha Ramanaaka	400m	1147
02	Nilani Rathnayaka	3000m SC	1180
03	Nimali Liyanarachchi	800m	1145
05	Gayanthika Abeyrathne	800M	1124
05	Anjani Pulwansa	Long Jump	1028
05	Vidusha Lakshani	Triple Jump	1091
06	Dilshi Kumarasinghe	800m	1099
06	Nimali Liyanarachchi	1500m	1052
07	Gayanthika Abeyrathne	1500m	1035
08	Hashini Balasooriya	Triple Jump	1044
10	Dilshi Kumarasinghe	400m	1071
10	Nadeeka Lakmali	Javelin Throw	1033
	Male
06	Sreshan Dhananjaya	Triple Jump	1133
06	Sumedha Ransinghe	Javelin Throw	1126
08	Rusiru Chathuranga	800m	1073
11	Aruna Darshana	400m	1104

 

                                            How Ranking has been calculated  (Individual Athletes) 

 

Event Rankings