Yupun Abeykoon sprinting towards Paris 2024

 By Susil Premalal

South Asia’s fastest sprinter and 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist Yupun Abeykoon is set to compete in four to five international meets in the next five weeks, Sri Lanka Athletic (SLA) sources revealed yesterday.
Abeykoon is currently in a season-best 95th position according to the Men’s 100m Paris Olympic Games Rankings, while only 56 athletes will be selected for the event after the deadline on June 30. 
Abeykoon, who is chasing an elusive Paris Olympic Games qualifying spot, has so far participated in four international meets and clocked a season-best time of 10.15s at the Anhalt 2024 Athletic event in Dessau, Germany.
Abeykoon won the Men’s 100m event at this meet while clocking 10.16s.
Earlier, at the UAE Grand Prix in Dubai, he finished the Men’s 100m event with a time of 10.18s, secured third place, and clocked 10.21s to finish in fourth place at the Roma Sprint Festival 2024.
Meanwhile, national elite athletes Aruna Darshana and Dilhani Lekamge will participate in the second Belt and Road Athletics Invitation Meeting—a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Label Meet—in Chongqing, China, from May 27–29.
Aruna will participate in the 200m and 400m, and Dilhani will participate in the javelin throw event.
The international schedule for Sri Lankan elite athletes is: June 1-2: Taiwan Open Championships (Aruna Darshana, Tharushi Karunarathna, Nadeesha Ramanayake, Gayanthika Abeyrathna, and Dilhani Lekamge); June 14–15: Mokpo, China: Asian Throwing Championships (Dilhani Lekamge and Sumedha Ranasinghe).