Lankan swimmers Matthew, Ramudi and Ganga excel in WAC

The 20th FINA World Aquatic Championships (WAC) at Marine Messe in Fukuoka, Japan, came to a close on Sunday, with the Sri Lankan swimming contingent leaving a mark of their own on the international stage.

Matthew Abeysinghe, Ramudi Samarakoon, and Ganga Seneviratne showcased their talent and determination, achieving impressive world rankings in their respective events.

Matthew Abeysinghe, a seasoned double Olympian, made waves in his specialty, the 100m freestyle.

Clocking an impressive time of 50.46 seconds, he secured the 51st position in the world rankings. The gold medal in the highly competitive men’s 100m freestyle event was claimed by Australia’s Kyle Chalmers, who finished with a swift time of 47.15 seconds. Abeysinghe also took part in the Men’s 50m Freestyle, where he completed the race in 23.23 seconds, earning him the 57th spot in the world rankings.

In the 100m breaststroke event, Ramudi Samarakoon exhibited her skills, finishing with a time of 1:15.36, securing the 52nd position in the world rankings.

The gold medal in this event went to Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte, who achieved an outstanding time of 1:05.09. Samarakoon further competed in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke, clocking a time of 2:45.61 and securing the 34th rank in the world.

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker claimed the gold in the 200m breaststroke event, setting an impressive time of 2:20.80, and becoming the first female swimming world champion from her country.

Ganga Seneviratne, the backstroke swimmer, made her presence felt in the 100m backstroke event, finishing 48th in the world with a time of 1:04.86.

The gold medal in this event was claimed by Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, who finished with a time of 57.53. Additionally, in the Women’s 200m Backstroke event, Seneviratne secured the 37th rank with a time of 2:23.36.