Tharushi qualifies for World Junior Championships

Sixteen-year-old Tharushi Karunaratne reached qualifying standards for the World Junior Athletics Championship to provide consolation as seniors struggled in wet weather conditions to get closer to Olympic qualifying standards during the first stage of the 99th National Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasas Stadium on Friday.

Dilshi Kumarasinghe, who established a new national record at the last meet, was the biggest casualty as she pulled out from the women’s 800 metres due to injury after a promising start. Kumarasinghe’s injury slowed the race down but gutty youngster Karunaratne made number three ranked Asian Nimali Liyanarachchi fight to win the title. In doing so Karunaratne returned a time of 2:07.21 seconds to finish second and bettered the entry standard (2:08.7 seconds )for the World Junior Championship to be held in Nairobi.

Tharushi is the younger sister of Asian Junior Championship medallist Harsha Karunaratne. Tharushi, who is also coached by Susantha Fernando, is the third Sri Lankan athlete to qualify for the World Junior event this year. Holy Cross College, Gampaha athlete Shanika Lakmali who reached qualifying standards earlier, also competed in the same discipline yesterday and was placed fourth in a time of 2:09.63 seconds.