Gayanthika, Sarangi, Sachini, Dhammika shatter national records  

99th National Athletics Championships  

by Reemus Fernando  

Veteran distance runner Gayanthika Abeyratne became the first Sri Lankan female athlete to break the 16 minutes barer in the 5,000 metres, Sarangi Silva continued her record breaking spree in the long jump, while Roshan Dhammika shattered Mahesh Perera’s long standing hurdles record in a remarkable second leg of the 99th National Athletics Championship concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Sunday.

The Sri Lanka Navy’s Abeyratne was in a league of her own from the time the women’s 5,000 metres commenced in the morning yesterday. After having shattered the women’s 1,500 metres record on Saturday, Abeyratne was determined to clinch the second title yesterday and had at least a one lap lead over the field when she closed the line in 15:55.84 seconds. She broke US based distance runner Hiruni Wijayaratne’s 2020 record of 16:17.51 seconds. When she shattered Nimali Liyanarachchi’s 1,500 metres record on Saturday she did it with a feat of 4:09.12 seconds.

The intense contest between Sarangi Silva and Anjani Pulwansa has made women’s long jump a much looked forward to discipline. Yesterday Sarangi improved on her own national record clearing a distance of 6.48 metres to win the gold. Pulwansa cleared the six metres mark in her first three attempts of which the third attempt of 6.15 metres was her best. Sarangi made four successful jumps and all were measured over six metres. This healthy competition is going to augur well for the sport.

Dhammika shatters Olympian Perera’s record

Roshan Dhammika was not even born when Olympian Mahesh Perera established the 110 metres hurdles national record in 1997. On Saturday the, 23-year-old Dhammika improved on the national record twice as he became the first hurdler to break the 14 seconds barrier. The athlete trained by Thiron Gamage clocked 13.97 seconds in the heats to take the record under his name. Later in the final he returned a time of 13.89 seconds to further improve on that.

In field events Sri Lanka army’s Sachini Perera improved her own women’s pole vault record with a feat of 3.57 metres. Her previous record was 3.56 metres.

Meanwhile, W.S.M. Fernando of Sri Lanka Army broke Charith Kapukotuwa’s meet record with a throw of 17.36 metres in the men’s shot put.

The meet also witnessed an impressive sprint finish by Aruna Dharshana on Saturday. Dharshana returned a time of 20.91 seconds to turn tables on Kalinga Kumarage and win the men’s 200 metres.