SLA targets completion of all events of National Championship by 29 June
Along with increasing restrictions to battle COVID-19 in the country, Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) is facing a fresh challenge to conduct the National Athletics Championship 2021, which is vital especially for athletes who are close to Olympic qualification.
SLA has the option of postponing the competition with qualification deadline being 29 June, but that would further disrupt the already disrupted preparation due to COVID-19.
In the latest development, SLA has decided to conduct the National Championship in several stages under strict health guidelines by adopting a DREAM protocol, where the first stages selected will be Olympic targeted events, and will be held on May 22 and 23.
Accordingly, SLA has included the 100m event (men/women), 400m (men/women), 800m (women), Javelin Throw (men/women) and Men’s long jump in the first stage, though athletes who compete in the 100m (men/women) and 400m (men) events are nowhere near the Olympic qualification mark.
100m Olympic direct qualification mark is 10.05 seconds, a time none of the South Asian Athletes have achieved so far. Women’s 100m direct qualification mark stands at 11.15 seconds, a time only achieved previously by Susanthika Jayasinghe. 400m direct qualification mark is 44.90 seconds or better, a time which only Sugath Thilakarathne ran 23 years ago in 1998.
800m (women), 400m (women), Javelin Throw (men/women) has SL athletes in the Road to Tokyo next on the World ranking list, while 3000m steeplechase runner Nilani Rathnayaka has already achieved qualification standards.
Meanwhile, men’s long jump too has no athlete in either world ranking slot or near Olympic direct qualification standard of 8.22m, but SLA seems optimistic about someone performing better, as there are a couple of jumpers who have leapt more than 8m in the event, with Janaka Prasad Wimalasiri having a personal best of 8.14m and Amila Jayasiri 8.15m.
SLA stated all these competition plans are scheduled based on the present COVID-19 health guidelines in the country, and if by any chance the present lockdown continued, SLA will have to change their decision along with updated health protocols.
