Tharushi dazzles, Ameesha, Sachini, Mandini break records
Ratnayake Central, Walala athlete Tharushi Karunaratne delivered yet another outstanding performance as she reached qualifying standard for another World Junior Athletics Championships event on the final day of the second selection trial at Diyagama on Friday.
She beat her senior training partner and national record holder Dilshi Kumarasinghe in a tape finish in the 800 metres as she returned a time of two minutes and 6.99 seconds. Kumarasinghe skipped the last selection trial and was returning after an injury. With her personal best performance in the 800 metres Karunaratne has now achieved qualifying standards for two World Junior events. On Thursday she reached qualifying standards for the 400 metres.
On a day where none of the senior athletes reached set standards for the Asian Games, Sachini Perera’s national record in the pole vault, Karunaratne’s heroics in the 800 metres and Amesha Hettiarachchi’s National Junior record in the 400 metres hurdles were the highlights.
Asian Youth Championship medallist Hettiarachchi returned a time of 60.49 seconds to beat her own record in the 400 metres hurdles. In 2019 the former Viharamaha Devi Balika, Kandy athlete ran the event in a time of 60.57 seconds. With her record breaking feat she has now joined a host of other juniors who have reached qualifying standards for the World Junior Athletics Championship which will be held in Cali, Colombia in August.
In the women’s pole vault, Sachini Perera improved her own national record by five centimeters as she cleared 3.70 metres. The former gymnast cleared 3.65 metres at the last selection trail in February.
Meanwhile, in another notable feat by female athletes Nihinsa Mandini of Yatiyana MV broke her own National Junior hammer throw record with a feat of 39.57 metres.
With a number of leading athletes skipping the trial to concentrate on next month’s National Championship, the focus fell on the likes of Shreshan Dananjaya, thrower Dilhani Lekamge and hurdler Roshan Dhammika Ranatunga who were among the leading contenders for a place in the team for the Asian Games. However, the qualifying marks continued to elude them yesterday.
Hurdler Ranatunga won his heat in a time of 14.36 seconds but skipped the final. His time in the heats remained the fastest on the day.
Dananjaya cleared 7.57 metres to win the men’s long jump. That was some 39 centimetres behind the qualifying mark set for the Asian Games.
In the women’s javelin throw, Lekamge managed to throw a distance of 52.93 metres to win, while H.D. Maduwanthi was placed third with a throw of 52.20 metres. Olympian and National record holder Nadeeka Lakmali failed to clear 50 metres and was placed third.
