TOKYO, August 2 – Italy-based Yupun Abeykoon was eliminated from the Men’s 100m first-round over the weekend but he has definitely a lot more to offer to Sri Lanka athletics in the years to come.
True, he finished 42nd out of 58 competitors who took part in Saturday’s seven Men’s 100m first-round heats but as a dynamic sprinter who has once again taken Sri Lanka to the Olympic level, Abeykoon is determined to take his native country’s sports image to a higher elevation.
He would remain a bright medal prospect at two key international sporting events next year – the 19th Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, China and the Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham, Great Britain.
The Birmingham Commonwealth Games is due to be held from July 28 to August 8, 2022 while the Hangzhou Asian Games will take place about a month later from September 10 to 25, 2022.
These two Games would turn out to be key milestones in Sri Lanka sport and the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) has already drawn up plans not only for the 2022 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games but also for the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games.
NOCSL President Suresh Subramaniam has set his sights on the 2028 Olympic Games to break the medal hoodoo.
Sri Lanka has not won an Olympic Medal since the 2000 Sydney Games but Subramaniam is confident that Sri Lanka could break the hoodoo even after 28years.
Even Susanthika Jayasinghe bagged the Women’s 200m Silver in 2000 Olympic Games after 52 years since the late Duncan White became the first Olympic Medallist for Sri Lanka in 1948 London Games.
Hence, if Sri Lanka carefully trains its sportsmen and women with proper training facilities, guidance and international competition, an Olympic Medal will not be a distant dream.
Sri Lanka’s hunger for a medal will definitely be fulfilled by our lads and lasses at next year’s Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
The Government, under the dynamic Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Namal Rajapaksa, will continue to foster Sri Lanka sport.
Especially, having former Sri Lanka rugby captain to lead the Sri Lanka sports towards new horizons, country’s sportsmen and women could pin their hopes for a brighter future.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Athletic Association President, Major General Palitha Fernando, speaking from Colombo, said Sri Lanka will hold a fresh trial meet on August 9 and 10 to pick the Sri Lanka super pool for future key meets.
Intensive training
"We will identify the most prospective key events from which Sri Lanka could aim at winning medals. Then these super poolists will be given intensive training," he said.
He said the prospective Sri Lanka poolists must come under the training of suitable foreign coaches.
“Every time we try to get foreign coaches, some local coaches don’t like that and try to disrupt it. They want to keep their boys and girls under their wings forever. However, we must look at the broader interest of our country," Major General Fernando said.
AASL President said sprinter Abeykoon should come good at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
"It is great for him to clock 10.15s this season. He clocked 10.09s in another but unfortunately that was under excessive wind-assisted and was not counted," he said.
"It was great for him to come this far, even without competing in his pet event at the Asian Games or South Asian Games. Had he competed at Asian Games before, he would have won a medal. Nevertheless, we hope that he will prove his class and win medals next year," a hopeful Sri Lanka Athletic Chief said. It was Abeykoon’s domiciled countryman Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy who emerged the fastest man at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Even before the Men’s 100m final, traditionally the most anticipated event of the Olympic Games, last night was an exciting one for athletics.
Some minutes to go for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics fastest men took to the track for their showdown last night Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas had destroyed the 26-year-old triple jump world record with her last leap of the competition.
Brothers in flight Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi had tied for the high jump Gold Medal and agreed to share it having supported each other as they recovered from the same career-threatening injury after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It was another Italian who pulled off the greatest upset of all.
Jacobs arrived at the Tokyo Olympic Games in career best form but in nobody’s list of the top contenders to succeed Usain Bolt as the Olympic 100m champion.
His ambition when flying to Japan was a berth in the Men's 100m final.
However, he ultimately flew back home with that elusive 100m Gold Medal. Almost the entire 100m field seemed gripped by nerves from the heats, perhaps mindful of the huge opportunity to claim the crown that Jamaican Usain Bolt had vacated.
False start
One by one, the leading contenders faltered. World leader Trayvon Bromell looked awful in his heat and never recovered and his US teammate Ronnie Baker ran a tight semi-final to undermine his chances and European champion Zharnel Hughes was disqualified for a false start in the final.
Through all the mayhem Jacobs just got better and better - breaking his career best and then area records.
He had never gone under 10s before May this year when he set a Italian national record of 9.95s. But he improved that mark to 9.94s to win his heat on Saturday running along with Sri Lankan Abeykoon.
He then set a European Record of 9.84s in the semi-final to scrape into the final as one of two non-automatic qualifiers.
He lifted again in the final to take the most coveted title of all with a second European record of 9.80s. Jacobs used his superior start to take an early lead in the final and held his advantage to the line, holding off the converted 400m runner Fred Kerley (9.84s) and Canadian Andre De Grasse (9.89s).
A former eight-metre long jumper of Italian and American heritage, Jacobs only decided to pursue sprint events four years ago. He was completely stunned by last night’s result.
"I have no words to express. It’s a dream, it’s a dream and it’s fantastic. Tomorrow maybe I can believe it but today it is incredible. My dream was to run in the final and I won. I don’t know what happened but I am very happy,” the new 26-year-old sprint king said.
Add new comment