Aruna, Dilshi dazzle with record breaking 400m
Quarter milers Aruna Darshana and Dilshi Kumarasinghe burnt the track with record breaking runs as the best of under-23 athletes at the Junior National Athletic Championship the concluded at Sugathadasa stadium.
With three athletes dipping under 48 seconds in the semi-finals including Aruna who clocked 47.13 seconds in the semis, boys under-20 400m was expected with some stiff competition. And they delivered as promised with Aruna from Weerakeppetipola National School, Akuramboda dipping under 47 seconds to erase Manoj Pushpakumara’s long standing meet record of 47.00 seconds clocking 46. 59 seconds.
The others in the 400m race too clocked their personal bests with PM Kodikara clocking another sub 47 seconds time (46.70) while Pabasara Niku (47.17 seconds) and Ravishka Indrajith (47.64 seconds) too clocked below 48 seconds in the race lighting up SL hopes for Gold medals in the 400m as well as 4x400m relay at the South Asian Junior Athletic Championship and the Asian Junior Athletic Championship. Aruna’s time was better than the Asian Junior Gold medallist in the 400m when considering the last three editions of the said championship, the youngster also equalled the Sri Lanka junior record set by Manoj Pushpakumara, during the race.
Meanwhile, Dilshi Kumarasinghe who already did well in the 800m dipping 2.10 seconds to set a new SL junior record; also clocking an amazing 54.36 seconds in the girls under-20 400m to erase the SL junior record in the event as well as the meet record.
The 100m finals did not produce the fast time that was expected in the boy’s event when Mari’s Stella sprinter Chanuka Sandeepa clocked 10.84 seconds to win the race. Under-20 girl’s 100m was won by Amasha de Silva of Swarnamali Girls College’s with a personal best of 12.01 seconds.
High jumper Ushan Thiwanka who cleared over 2.20m in the boy’s under-23 high jump was adjudged as best male athlete of the meet as well as the best performance of the tournament. Women’s high jumper Poornima Gunaratne was adjudged as best female athlete of the tournament as she cleared 1.80m in the girls under-23 high jump event.
A total of 28 new meet records and a Sri Lanka record were set during the four day championship and nine of those records came from the sprinting events proving the newly laid track is a fast track at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
Distance runner Parami Wasanthi Marisstella of Kuliyapitiya CC excelled in the evening’s distance running as she beat record holder Asmika Herath clocking 6 minutes 59.63 seconds in the girls 2000m steeple chase to complete three gold medals as she earlier won the 800m and the 3000m.
The junior team for the South Asian Junior Athletic Championship was almost finalized with only the high jump selections to be done after the senior trials are held today.
New records on the final day:
Pasindu Malshan (St. vJoseph’s College Colombo) Triple Jump boys under-16, 13.52m
- Pirgasraj (Harley College Point Pedro) Hammer Throw boy’s under-20, 39.73 m
SSD Perera (Air Force) Hammer Throw boys under-23, 42.81m
Kavindi Edirisinghe (Janadhipathi BV Nawala) 400m girls under-16, 57.47 seconds
Dilshi Kumarasinghe (A. Rathnayake CC Walala) 400m girls under-20, 54.36 seconds
Isuru Bans (Ananda Shashthralaya Mathugama) boys under-16 400m, 49.14 seconds
Aruna Darshana (Weerakeppetipola NS Akuramboda) boys under-20, 400m 46.59 seconds
Parami Wasanthi Marisstella (Kuliyapitiya CC) girls under-18, 2000m steeple chase 6.59.63 seconds
Age group Champions
(Girls)
Under-16:- IN Pallegama (Ibbagamuwa CC) high Jump 1.71m
Under-18:- Parami Wasanthi Marisstella (Kuliyapitiya CC) 2000m St.Ch 6:59.63 seconds
Under-20:- Dilshi Kumarasinghe (A. Rathnayake CC Walala) 400m 54.36 seconds
Under-23:- Poornima Gunarathne (Kalutara DAA) High Jump 1.80m
(Boys):
Under-16: Rumesh Tharanga (St. Peter’s College Colombo) Discus Throw 55.34m
Under-18: Sadeepa Fernando (St. Benedict’s College) 110m hurdle 14.60sec
Under-20: Aruna Darshana (Weerakeppetipola NS, Akuramboda) 400m 46.59 seconds
Under-23: Ushan Thiwanka Perera (Gampaha DAA) High Jump 2.20m
