Yupun stamps his class with new record

by Reemus Fernando

Sprinter Yupun Abeykoon’s record-breaking feat in the 200 metres at the Stadio Zecchini, Grosseto in Italy on Sunday has placed him among the top performers of his generation in Asia.

His new Sri Lanka record feat of 20.37 seconds is the second-fastest performance in Asia this year and the fourth-fastest time by an Asian during the last two years, while in the history of the sport only 17 athletes had run faster than him in the entire Asian region.

Abeykoon broke the national record held by Vinoj Suranjaya Silva with a 20.37 seconds feat at a meet in Italy on Sunday to create history. His new record mark, which clearly separates him from the rest of the Sri Lankan sprinters in the history to have clocked sub 21 seconds, now makes him a medal contender at Asian level.

Sri Lanka Athletics had set a tough 20.60 seconds mark- the average bronze-winning standard of the last three Games- as the qualifying standard for the postponed Asian Games (2022). Now, with him obliterating the mark he has stamped his class as the undisputed king of sprints not only in Sri Lanka but the entire South Asian region.

The Italy based sprinter who established a new Asian record in the 150 metres recently is now the fastest in the South Asian region in both the 100 metres and the 200 metres. He was already the 100 metres record holder of the South Asian region but was behind India’s Amlan Borgohain (20.52 secs) in the 200 metres until Sunday.

The 27-year-old also joins a handful of Sri Lankan athletes to have held the two sprint records simultaneously. Sunil Gunawardena, Sriyantha Dissanayake, Chinthaka Soysa and Vinoj Suranjaya are the others.

After the Asian Games medallist Sugath Thilakaratne improved his 200 metres national record to 20.69 seconds in 1998 only Vinoj Suranjaya had run faster than that until Sunday.

The historic feat will augur well for Yupun who will vie to earn qualifying standards for the upcoming World Championships in both sprint disciplines. A quick look at the ‘Road to Oregon 2022’ rankings shows that many within the top 50 ranking positions have not produced performances faster than that of Yupun this season. With quality competitions available for him in Italy, it is expected that he would earn a place to compete at the World Championship.

However top-grade competitions have become a luxury for many Sri Lankan athletes including a few who are edging closer to qualifying standards for the World event.