Tharushi Takes a Step Closer to Olympic Dream
Despite adverse weather conditions, Asian Gold medalist Tharushi Karunarathne showcased her determination at the 102nd National Athletics Championship in Diyagama, clocking 2 minutes 04.22 seconds to win the 800m Women’s Finals.
Although rain-soaked conditions prevented her from achieving an even better time, she earned 1188 points for her performance. Her average ranking points now stand at 1218.8, up from the previous 1202.
Currently ranked 49th in the Road to Paris list—where only 48 athletes will be selected for the Olympics—Tharushi’s recent performance will propel her to the 42nd position, improving her chances of making the cut.
Her performance also sealed her the The Colombo Canteen Committee Challenge Cup which is awarded for best female performances in the championship.
Tharushi will have another opportunity to compete at the National Open Stage 2, scheduled for June 30th. The countdown to Olympic qualification continues, with athletes worldwide eyeing that prestigious spot. World Athletics will finalize the qualification list after the 30th.
Meanwhile her elder brother, Harsha Karunarathne won the men’s 800M with a time of 1:52.23 seconds. This also won him the Governor Generals Cup which is awarded for best male middle distance performance of the meet.
Sri Lanka Record
Jaffna Pole Vaulter Nesarasa Dakshitha shattered the Sri Lanka record in the event with a 3.72m leap. The Jaffna University athlete erased the record set by Sachini Perera, who left the island for Dubai in 2022 in search of job opportunities amid an economic crisis and frustration over the lack of support for National Athletes in the country.
Ayomal shines with huge PB
Meanwhile, 18 year old Ayomal Akalanka achieved a personal best time of 51.42 seconds to secure victory in the Men’s 400m hurdles final. Notably, he had already met the qualification standard for the World Junior Championship (53.20 seconds) by clocking 52.84 seconds during the Asian Junior Championship in Dubai earlier this year. This impressive performance represents a remarkable improvement of 1.42 seconds from his previous best.
In the afternoon, Indusara Vidushan became the 6th SL Junior athlete to qualify for the World Athletics Junior Championship as he shattered the National Junior record in the 200m. He clocked 21.14 seconds, achieving the qualification standard of 21.35 seconds, finishing second in the men’s final which was won by Mohommad Safan with 21.05 seconds.
Aruna shines with top honours
Quarter miler Aruna Darshana who clocked 45. 51 seconds to win 400m won the highest honours of the National Championship winning Vyravanathan Memorial Challenge Cup which is awarded for overall best performance of the championship. He also won the Wilton Bartleet Challenge Trophy for best male performance in the championship as well as Horlicks Challenge Trophy for best sprinter of the championship.
