Samith breaks record with new PB

Shot Putter Samith Fernando set a new Army meet record with a personal best of 16.89m at the Army Athletics Championship Stage 1 held at Sugathadasa Stadium Colombo. The event is conducted under closed doors with no media access to the venue.

According to the result sheet sent by the Army, SAG Bronze medalist Fernando has beaten R.S. Jayawardana and B.D. Delwita to win the Gold medal, and in the process improved on his previous personal best of 16.62m. Fernando has been doing consistently well for quite a while, but lack of competition hurt this progress as he had only two competitions since 2019 December prior to this one.

Meanwhile, 100m National Champion Himasha Eashan clocked 10.34 seconds into a -1.7 head wind, which is a new meet record. In the 400m, Kalinga Kumarage who ran 46.59 seconds in the heats, did not take part in the final which was won by Aruna Darshana with ease, clocking 47.05 seconds.

Amasha de Silva had to run against a -2.3 headwind and clocked 11.93 seconds to win the 100m Gold medal. Olympian Sumedha Ranasinghe (Javelin Throw), who was beaten in the National Championship, won the Gold medal yesterday with a 73.57m throw.

In the Long Jump, Janaka Prasad Wimalasiri leapt a wind assisted 7.94m (+3.3) to win the Gold medal.

Results – MEN

100m: 1. Himasha Eashan 10.34 sec (-1.7), 2. Chamod Yodasinghe 10.73sec, 3. A.J. Wijerathne 10.81 sec

400m: 1. Aruna Darshana 47.05 sec, 2. R.M. Rajakaruna 47.50 sec, 3. Ajith Premakumara 47.93 sec

800m: 1. Harsha Karunarathne 1:51.06 sec, 2. S.K. Fernando 1:53.96 sec, 3. Rushiru Chathuranga 1:53.96 sec

Long Jump: 1. Prasad Wimalasiri 7.94M (+3.3), 2. T.D. Herath 7.77, 3. Mahesh Karunasekara 7.76m

Shot Put: 1. S.M. Fernando 16.89, 2. R.S. Jayawardana 14.79m, 3. B.D. Delwita 13.80m

Javelin Throw: 1. Sumedha Ranasinghe 73:57, 2. Sampath Ranasinghe 70.95m, 3. Waruna Lakshan Dayarathne 70.39m

WOMEN

100m: 1. Amasha de Silva 11.93 sec (-2.3), 2. Medhani Jayamanne 12.15 sec, 2. Safiya Yamic 12.19 sec

400m: 1. Nadeesha Ramanayaka 54.48 sec, 2. Kaushalya Madushani 58.11 sec

100m hurdle: 1. Lakshika Sugandhi 14.40 sec, S.N. Fernando 15.74 sec

3000m Steeplechase: 1. Nilani Rathnayaka 10:05.02 sec, 2. I.T. Udaya Kumari 11:35.63 sec

Javelin Throw: 1. Dilhani Lekamge 56.94 m, 2. Nadeeka Lakmali 53.74m, 3. P.S. Sewwandi 41.92m