Yasiru continues to dazzle, Ambagamuwa hurdlers in record-breaking spree  

Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championships

By Reemus Fernando    

Kahawatta Central athlete Malith Yasiru continued his record-breaking spree to win the Under 20 boys’ triple jump on day one of the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championships at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Wednesday.

Yasiru cleared 16.19 metres which is better than his recently established national junior record. But the absence of a wind gauge is likely to deny him a new national junior mark.

The Asian Junior Championship medallist cleared 16.17 metres to establish a new national junior record at the recently held National Sports Festival at the same venue.

It is the first time an athlete had cleared the 16 metres mark at these championships and his 16.19 metres mark yesterday erased the meet record established by Keshan  Koralage in 2022. Koralage had a distance of 15.64 metres.

He was not the only athlete to establish records as Lyceum International Wattala high jumper Tharusha Mendis in the Under 16 high jump final and Ambagamuwa Central hurdlers Ayomal Akalanka and Himashani Seneviratne in their respective age group heats renewed meet records.

Last year, Mendis broke a two-decades old record in the Under 16 boys’ high jump at this meet. Yesterday he improved it further as he became the first athlete of his age category to clear the two metres mark in the high jump at this meet.

Commonwealth Youth Games medalist Akalanka lived up to his billing, improving the meet record in the heats of the Under 18 boys’ 400 metres hurdles with a feat of 52.3 seconds. He erased the record held by Maris Stella College Negombo athlete Uditha Chandrasena.

Himashani clocked 65.3 seconds in the Under 16 girls’ 400 metres hurdles to create a new record. Both Akalanka and Ayomal are trained by veteran coach Anura Bandara.