Shanika caps a successful year with three meet records for Gampaha

Youth National Championships

by Reemus Fernando  

Middle distance runner Shanika Lakshani capped the year 2021 with impressive performances by winning the Under 20 800 metres and the 1500 metres with new meet record marks at the Youth National Championships concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

The Holy Cross College, Gampaha athlete clocked 2:11.27 seconds to win the 800 metres and cruised to a 4:35.55 seconds finish in the 1,500 metres. She was the only athlete to run the latter distance below five minutes to erase the ten-year-old record held by Ratnapura District athlete Chamika Jayamini.

When the Gampaha District won the overall championship of the Youth National Championships for the seventh consecutive year on Wednesday, Lakshani had accounted for three track victories. She was also part of the gold medal-winning 4×400 metres relay team which also established a new meet record of 3:50.56 secs.

Re weiting the record books was expected as the athlete trained by Madhura Perera had already run faster times in both the 800 metres and the 1,500 metres.

Shanika represented Sri Lanka at this year’s Junior World Championships in Nairobi and is the current junior national record holder after smashing one of the oldest athletics records in 2020. She renewed a more than three decades old junior record held by former National Champion Dammika Menike a year ago at the same venue.

Lakshani who represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in 2019 is among a few dozen school athletes to have continued training despite the pandemic situation during the last two years.

The Youth National Championship concluded on Wednesday saw 12 new meet records being established. Gampaha District athletes accounted for five of them. Lakshima Mendis had a meet to remember as she established a new record in the Under 20 girls’ 400 metres. She clocked 56.00 seconds to win and was adjudged the best athlete in her age category.

Kurunegala District hurdler Kaushalya Dias was adjudged the best athlete for a feat of 14.27 seconds in the Under 20 110 metres hurdles, Kandy District long jumper Yasindu Herath who won the men’s long jump (7.52m) and Kurunegala District hurdler Kaushalya Madushani, the women’s 400 metres hurdles winner were the best athletes in the Over 20 men’s and women’s categories respectively.