Nimali’s enviable records  

Tokyo Olympics – 13 days to go

by Reemus Fernando  

Nimali Liyanarachchi will represent Sri Lanka in the women’s 800 metres at the Tokyo Olympics which starts in 13 days time. The athlete from Sooriyawewa received a ‘Universality Place’ from World Athletics to represent the country in Japan after other female athletes did not reach qualifying standards. Universality Places are offered only in sprint events and 800 metres.   

The athlete trained by Sujith Abeysekara currently has two national records against her name and once held the 800 metres and the 3,000 metres steeplechase records.  

She made a breakthrough in the women’s 800 metres when she smashed Dhammika Menike’s 1992 National record by clocking 02:03.5 seconds in 2016, though it could not gain due recognition then.  

She was part of the team that broke the women’s national 4×400 metres record held by Damayanthi Dharsha and team in 2019. Competing in the final of the Asian Athletics Championship in Doha the team comprising Upamali Ratnakumari, Nadeesha Ramanayake, Dilshi Kumarasinghe and Liyanarachchi clocked 3:35.06 seconds to break the 20-year-old record of Dharsha and team. 

Currently, she holds the 1,500 metres record and was a predecessor to Nilani Ratnayake in the women’s steeplechase. While Nilani is the first to run the distance under ten minutes, Nimali was the first to run the distance under 11 minutes.   

Stats 

Name:

Nimali Liyanarachchi 

Date of Birth:

19th September 1989 

Event:

Track and Field – 800 metres 

Coach:

Sujith Abeysekara 

Club:

Sri Lanka Air Force  

Personal Bests: 

400 metres: 53.9 secs 

400M Hurdles: 60.85 secs 

800 metres: 2:02.58 secs 

1,500 metres:  4:15.86 secs (National Record) 

4×400 metres: 3:35.06 secs (National Record)