Women’s middle distance runner Gayanthika Abeyratne established the most impressive Sri Lanka record out of the four records that were shattered at the National Athletic Championship held at the Sugathadasa Stadium last weekend.
She was competing along with only two runners in the 1500 metres race but that did not deter her enthusiasm from going for the record. She clocked in at 4 minutes, 09.12 seconds to shatter the record that was set by Nimali Liyanarachchi in 2019.
Hurdler Roshan Ranatunga also came up with a stunning performance in the 110m hurdles event. He returned a time of 13.97 seconds to shatter a 24-year-old record set by Mahesh Perera in 1997. He went on to renew the record again by clocking 13.89 seconds in this event.
Ranatunga who started as a high jumper during his school days, won a silver medal in this event at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2017. Later he changed to hurdles and has met with great success. He underwent treatment for injuries which hampered his progress during last year, but the break due to COVID-19 seems to have helped him to focus more on training, especially since he did not have to attend lectures in person in Sabaragamuwa where he studies.
Pole vaulter Sachini Perera, 23, leaped 3.57m to erase her record. The former gymnast has been making waves with her performances in the pole vault, where she earlier set the record clearing 3.56m in December 2020.
The other Sri Lanka record was set by long jumper Sarangi Silva who shattered her own record clearing 6.48m jumping against a -0.9 headwind. The South Asian Games gold medallist trained in Doha early this year and had a previous best of 6.44m.
Samith Fernando set a new meet record in the shot put, with an impressive performance of 17.36m.
In other events, Aruna Dharshana and Amasha de Silva won the 200m. Darshana clocked a personal best 20.91 seconds as he beat defending champion Kalinga Kumarage and in-form Mohammad Safan for the title.
Amasha de Silva, the 100m champion, also sealed the 200m National title clocking a personal best of 24.08 seconds, while Medhani Jayamanne and Nadeesha Ramanayake finished second and third respectively.
Former A. Ratnayake CC Walala athlete Harsha Karunaratne made a return clocking 1 minute 50.42 seconds to win the 800m final.
Lakshika Sugandhi returned to seal her heptathlon tile with 4645 points, while D.S. Perera of Air Force won the decathlon title with 6645 points.