Sri Lanka excelled in the men’s 400m final to pocket all three medals (gold, silver and bronze) while establishing a new meet record on the opening day of the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday.
Aruna Dharshana who led the Sri Lanka team set a new meet record in the 400m by clocking 46.55 seconds and erasing the previous record of 48.24secs set by Indian runner Sandeep Lathwal in 2013 in the same meet held in Ranchi, India.
PMPL Kodikara registered 46.99 secs while Pabasara Niluka clocked 47.43 secs as both were able to produce their personal best timings in their careers.
In the women’s 400m there was also a stunning show when Walala runner Dilshi Kumarasinghe broke a 10-year record when she clocked 54.47 seconds overcoming a previous record set by Indian Gujjala Harathi (56.32) in 2013.
Subha Venkatesan from India clocked 55.18 secs while Rachna Gujar registered 55.70 secs to secure second and third places respectively. Both of them also produced their personnel best timings. Tharaka Divyanjali took fourth place clocking 56.07 secs which was also a personal best for her.
In the women’s 100m Amasha de Silva stunned her Sri Lankan supporters as she registered a new meet record by clocking 11.92 secs to win the gold medal. She clocked the same time in the heats as well.
Amasha erased the record set by Jessy Arulappan (12.15) in Colombo in 2007. Chaitrali Kalidas Gujar from India clocked 12.24 secs while Sri Lanka’s Shelinda Jansen clocked 12.28 secs to take second and third places respectively.
Ten new meet records were established on the opening day of the championship, six set by Indian athletes while four were established by Sri Lankans.
In the medal tally India dominated the table with eleven golds, ten silvers and three bronze while host Sri Lanka was placed second with five golds, six silver and ten bronze medals.
Pakistan won only a silver and was placed third while Bangaladesh and Maldives secured bronze medals for fourth and fifth places respectively. The meet concludes today.
Sri Lanka’s relay team comprising Shafiya Yamick, Amasha de Silva, Shelinda Jansen and Sharmila Jen established a new meet record in the 4x100m clocking 46.22 erasing the country’s own record set in 2007 which was 47.14 secs.
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