Sumedha in contention for World Championship spot
Thrower Sumedha Ranasinghe is in contention to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA after advancing to the 28th position in the ‘Road to Oregon 2022’ rankings according to the rankings published by the World Athletics this week.
He is the first male athlete from Sri Lanka to be ranked within the required range to earn qualification for the latest edition of the premier world track and field event. Incidentally, World Athletics has placed him in the 28th position on his performance at the Trial held in March, which was below his notable feat achieved at the centenary National Athletics Championships last week.
The athlete trained by former champion Pradeep Nishantha hurled the javelin to a distance of 82.18 metres at the centenary National Championships last week. That feat earned him the best athlete title of the landmark Championship. Ranasinghe’s position in the ‘Road to Oregon 2022’ rankings is set to improve further when the world governing body recognizes his feat at the National Championships as a number of international athletes who are ranked above him are yet to produce feats better than that of the Sri Lankan champion’s mark this year. For example, Poland’s Cyprian Mrzyg?ód, who is ranked more than ten places above Ranasinghe in the ‘Road to Oregon 2022’ ranking has 80.47 metres from August 2021 as his most recent best.
Ranasinghe has to maintain a ranking position within the first 32 places until June 26th if he is to secure the World Championship spot. However, with the country experiencing a severe foreign exchange crisis, the chances of Sri Lankan athletes taking part in overseas competitions to improve their rankings have become thin. As of yesterday Ranasinghe and Nilani Ratnayake (women’s steeplechase) were the only Sri Lankan athletes to have secured places in the ‘Road to Oregon 2022’ rankings, while US-based high jumper Ushan Thivanka and Italy based sprinter Yupun Abeykoon are expected to achieve the mark.
The World Athletics has set a direct qualifying standard of 85 metres for the men’s javelin throw. While more than ten athletes have reached the tough standard since the qualifying period started on June 28, 2021, Aliaksei Katkavets of Belarus is the only athlete to have thrown beyond that mark this year.
World Athletics has allocated 32 slots for the men’s javelin throw at the World Championships. While 11 slots will be filled by athletes who reach the qualifying standard, the remaining 21 spots will be filled by the rest of the athletes remaining in the top 32 positions in the ‘Road to Oregon 2022’ rankings.
At the centenary National Championships, it was clear that Ranasinghe was eying the 85 metres mark. At least one of his throws landed in that region only to be adjudged an illegal throw.
(By Reemus Fernando/The Island )
