Pole Vaulter Ishara Sandaruwan, Hammer Thrower Ayesha Maduwanthi and Heptathlon runner Lakshika Sugandi established three new Sri Lanka records in their respective finals on the last day of the 94th National Athletics Championship which concluded at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Diyagama, Homagama yesterday.
Sri Lanka Army’s Sandaruwan, who held the previous Pole Vault Sri Lanka record of 4.91 metres, cleared 5.0 height to erase the former mark.
Maduwanthi of Air Force recorded a 44.14 metre distance in the women’s Hammer Throw final to shatter the previous record of 43.93m set by SM Amarasinghe of Sri Lanka Army last month.
In the women’s Heptathlon final, Lakshika renewed her own Sri Lanka record accumulating 4547 points to erase the previous mark of 4404 points set last year.
The National Athletics Championship ended without any of the Olympic qualifiers being able to achieve the required standards.
High Jumper Manjula Kumara, who was given another chance to qualify for the Rio Games cleared only 2.25 metres when the qualifying mark was 2.29 metres.
“It was disappointing to miss the second chance given to me to enter the Olympic. It was my last chance to compete in an Olympic event in my life,” said 32-year-old Kumara.
“I had to compete without any competition, so clearing 2.25 metres is a good attempt, but missing the cut off mark is very sad,” Kumara told the ‘Daily News’.
Nimali Liyanarachchi, the up and coming middle distance runner, clocked 2:04.8 minutes in the women’s 800m final. Liyanarachchi although taking first place was unable to finish inside the Olympic cut off mark of 2:01.5 minutes.
Final day results
(all finals):
Men
110m Hurdles: 1 WS Randeewa (Army) 14.6 sec, 2 Woshim Ilham (Army) 14.6 sec, 3 Hasitha Kumara (Army) 14.7 sec.
Pole Vault: 1 Ishara Sandaruwan (Air Force) 5.00 m, 2 AC Fernando (Army) 4.50 m, 3 CP Senaratne (Army) 4.50 m. 7.69 m.
Long Jump: 1 PA Jayasiri (Air Force), 2 Sampath Dissanayake (Army) 7.65 m, DS Priyaratne (Air Force) 7.63 m.
400m Hurdles: 1 Aravinda Chathuranga (Army) 52.3 sec, 2 JL Prasangith (Army) 52.6 sec, 3 NG Gunatilleke (Army) 53.4 sec.
200m: 1 Suranjaya de Silva (Army) 21.2 sec, 2 Himasha Eshan (Army) 21.4 sec, KK Seneviratne (Navy) 21.5 sec.
800m: 1 Indunil Herath (Army) 1:50.4 min, 2 MS Kumara (Army) 1:50.6 min, 3 AD Kumara (Army) 1:51.2 sec.
5000m: 1 DS Dissanayake (Army) 15:02.9 min, 2 BA Sandaruwan (Air Force) 15:03.4 min, 3 Saman Kumara (Army) 15:03.4 min.
Women
100m Hurdles: 1 JS Rajasinghe (Army) 14.9 sec, 2 RM Thilakasiri (Air Force) 15.3 sec, 3 DP Mohottala (Air Force) 15.5 sec.
Hammer Throw: 1 Ayesha Maduwanthi (Air Force) 44.14 m (NSLR), 2 AA Lakshika (Air Force) 43.27 m, 3 SM Amarasinghe (Army) 42.64 m.
400m Hurdles: 1 EK Madushani (Army) 1:01.0 min, 2 AS Dulani (Army) 1:03.3 min, 3 UD Ranasinghe (Navy) 1:04.2 min.
200m: 1 GN Madushika (Air Force) 25.0 sec, 2 SL Vidanaduruge (Air Force) 25.1 sec, 3 SS Jayatilleke (Army) 25.2 sec.
800m: 1 Nimali Liyanarachchi (Air Force) 2:04.8 min, TA Abeyratne (Navy) 2:05.1 min, 3 B Nadeesha (Army) 2:09.2 min.
Main Awards
Colombo Canteen Committee Challenge Cup (Awarded to the Competitor whose achievements is considered the best in the Women’s Events at the Meet): KN Ratnayake, Sri Lanka Army (1070 points) 3000m St. Ch. 10:10.3 secs
Wilton Bartleet Challenge Trophy (Awarded to the athlete whose performance is considered the best men event at the meet): Manjula Kumara, Sri Lanka Air Force (1126 points) High Jump 2.24m
Sri Lanka Telecom Challenge Trophy & N Vyravanathan Memorial Challenge Cup (Awarded to the Athlete whose performance in any individual event is considered the Best at the Meet (Men & Women): Manjula Kumara, Sri Lanka Air Force (1126 points) High Jump 2.24m
Add new comment