Janidu and Tharushi establish new records

By Susil Premalal

Janidu Lakvijaya of the Mercantile Athletics Association, a rising hurdles champion, set a new Sri Lankan record in the Mens 110m hurdles event yesterday on the first day of the first athletics selection trial for the Asian Junior and Senior Championships and the Asian Games 2023.

Lakvijaya clocked a time of 13.82secs, bettering the previous record of 13.89secs held by Rishan Dhammika.

He finished a second faster that A. N. K. Nasik of Sri Lanka Army, who clocked a time of 14.93 secs and finished in second, while M. M. R. Lakmal, also of Sri Lanka Army, came third in 15.29 secs.

Meanwhile, emerging middle distance athlete Tharushi Karunarathna of Walala A. Rathnayake Central College completed the Women’s 800m event in a time of 2:01.39secs, establishing a New Junior National Record.

She bettered the previous junior record, which belonged to her, set in 2022, when she ran a time of 2:04.40 secs.

What made her run even more remarkable was that she pushed the Sri Lanka record holder Gayanthika Abeyratne to second place.
Abeyratne clocked a time of 2:01.54 secs, while Shanik Lakshani finished third with a time of 2:06.92 secs.