Our Legend this week is also a heroine in athletics on the track. SUSANTHIKA JAYASINGHE who was one of the finest athletes in the Asian scene.
Undoubtedly after Mohammed Lafir won the first world title in billiards for the country, and after Duncan White won a silver medal at the 400-metre hurdles in 
the 1948 Olympic Games in London it was SUSANTHIKA who stunned the local world with her blazing performances in the 200-metre event at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.
Something special
When the Sydney Games came around there were high hopes of JAYASINGHE performing something special for such was her determination and confidence. She had confidence writ all over when she got on the blocks in the 200-metre event. The country was watching her on their tv sets praying that this girl would perform a miraculous act.
And running against the best in the world at that time who brushed aside all her opponents Marion Jones and Pauline- Davis Thompson she ran like a mare, but had to be satisfied with the bronze medal finishing third. However all Sri Lankans were over the moon because this was an Olympic medal after the heroics of Duncan White in 1948.
Resounding cheers
Becoming the Olympic medalist for the country she ran around the stadium with the Lankan flag draped around her to resounding cheers from the spectators. But she did not have to wait long for joy when it was proved that Marion had taken performance-enhancing drugs and disqualified and JAYASINGHE handed the silver medal. Wasn’t she ELATED? JAYASINGHE too found herself in death’s land when she had earlier in 1998 been accused and found guilty of consuming a banned drug Nandrolone. How she proved this allegation wrong and who helped her is given below in this copy.
Coming from a little-known town and school with not much of an athlete or coach to boast about, SUSANTHIKA showed her god endowed talents in running that shocked the athletic coaches who noticed her extraordinary talent in running.
Champ in the making
They saw in her a champion in the making, not only locally, but who could take the athletic world by storm and make world-renowned internationally famous female athletes running for life to maintain their hard-earned medals and records.
Athletes, especially American Marion Jones according to Lake House journalist Dinesh Weerawansa who never missed covering big world athletic meets, told me that Marion used to sweat when having to run against SUSANTHIKA.
Such was the fear she instilled on athletes fronting up to her. Weerawana who followed her growing prowess from the time she faced starter’s orders, SUSANTHIKA never showed excitement or nerves, but was confident of her ability and sported that certain smile.
Stupendous achievements
Before going on to further describe her fantastic of achievements, I would like to jog the memory of her legion of fans the torture she endured when her detractors went to town to degrade her efforts with allegations against her having taken performing enhancing drugs that finally proved wrong. Being cleared to move on, on the track.
When the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) sent their findings here that she had taken a banned drug, it was heart-rending and the poor girl who was in the world of torment, worried and probably sleepless for many days.
Great innings
This brings to mind the great innings the world famed Acupuncturist Dr.Anton Jayasuriya played to prove the WADA and the test wrong by using his and other experts knowledge in that field to prove the world governing body’s findings as rubbish.
Jayasuriya had the legal expertise of his great buddy the famous President’s Counsel Eardley Perera and along with and Neurologist Dr Gethanjan Mendis together they threatened to slap legal action against WADA.
In a local inquiry held here, it was proved that the drug was mistakenly prescribed and taken for some other ailment, that unfortunately contained a banned drug named Nandrolone.
Legal action
Jayasuriya, Perera and Mendis with their findings forwarded it to WADA and threatened to take legal action that seemed to have jolted WADA who redid the test, accepted the explanations and to the relief of her and a legion of supporters she was cleared of any wrongdoing.
I was a close friend of Dr.Jayasuriya and Eardley and I am aware of the time they spent proving the allegations wrong. Mention must also be made of former Deputy Editor Nicholas Candappa who carried lead stories daily in the ‘DAILY OBSERVER’ to prove SUSANTHIKA’S innocence.
Memory does not help
Memory does not help me recall others who helped clear the great girl and ask to be excused if I have left out other names. JAYASINGHE never had the good things that the athletes of today are blessed with. Born to a poor family in Uduwaka she didn’t have the money to buy a pair of running shoes.
SUSUSANTHIKA who ran in the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan excelled winning the silver medal in the 200-metre event. She also won silver at the World Athletic Championships in Athens, Greece. She also won two gold medals at the 2007 Asian Championships and a bronze medal at the 2007 IAAF World Championships.
Greatly indebted
SUSANTHIKA is greatly indebted to former Sri Lankan high jumper, the first to clear the bar over six feet NAGALINGAM ETHIRIVEERASINGHAM for taking her to America for further training.
SUSANTHIKA undoubtedly the best ever female athlete produced by Sri Lanka and it is sad that she had not received the recognition and rewarded for bringing fame not only to the country, but also Asia.
Will the country ever produce Another SUSANTHIKA JAYASINGHE? She, no doubt, could be crowned the QUEEN of the track in the country.
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