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By Dinesh Weerawansa

Sri Lanka continued their dominance in the 2003 Asian Grand Prix Series when four of its athletes secured first places in the second leg meeting at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday.

Susanthika Jayasinghe (women's 100m) and Rohan Pradeep Kumara Fernando (men's 400) retained the titles they won in the first leg meeting in Hyderabad, India on Wednesday while Damayanthi Darsha (women's 400m) and J.M.S. Jayaweera (men's 3,000m) also came first in their respective events.

It was another creditable performance by Olympic medallist Jayasinghe who suffered from dehydration and gastro enteritis on her return home from the Indian leg of the series on Friday and was rushed to a Colombo hospital by an ambulance, less than 48 hours before the Colombo meet.

But a determined Jayasinghe came back strongly to win secure the fist place once more to increase her prize money in the series to USD 6,000, with the chance of winning an equal sum more in the remaining legs in Bangkok (June 5) and Manila (June 9). Asian championship double gold medallist Rohan Pradeep Kumara Fernando once again underlined that he is the best 400m runner in Asia, pushing aside compatriot and former Asian Games gold medallist Sugath Tillakaratne to the second place.

Pradeep Kumara Fernando has also won similar prize money as Jayasinghe and his fortunes looks bright for a maximum of USD 12,000 in the series.

Sri Lanka made a clean sweep in men's 400m and 3,000m events. Besides Fernando and Tillakaratne who secured first two places, fellow team mate Praanna Amarasekara came third. Sri Lanka also won first five places in men's 3,000m event.

Asian Games triple gold medallist, Damayanthi Darsha came back strongly to win her pet event before home crowd, after finishing second in Hyderabad. Having lost the first leg meeting to Svetlana Bodritskaya of Kazakhstan, Darsha had complete control in winning the race in Colombo.

But hurdler Sriyani Kulawansa could not improve on the second place she won in Hyderabad. She could manage the same position in the Colombo Grand Prix after Thailand's Roberts beat the Lankan lass in style.

RESULTS:

(Men): 100m: 1. Chernivol Gennaidy, Kazakhstan, 10.60 seconds, S.P.N. Hemantha, Sri Lanka, 10.84, Sanjay Ghosh, India, 10.86.

110m hurdles: 1. Narongdech Janjal, Thailand, 14.35 seconds, 2. Mohammed Muhd Faiz, Malaysia, 14.43, 3. Indika Kumara de Silva, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka,14.45.

800m: 1. Mohammed O.A. Al Sathi, Saudi Arabia, 1 minute & 47.98 seconds, 2. Kolgnov Mikhail, Kazakhstan, 1:48.16, 3. P.W.G.M. Pushpakumara, Sri Lanka, 1:48.31;

3,000m: 1. J.M.S. Jayaweera, Sri Lanka, eight minutes & 18.38 seconds, K. Chandradasa, 8:22.54, 3. G.S.P. Mendis, Sri Lanka, 8:25:89.

Long jump: Mohommed Al Khuwalid, Saudi Arabia, 7.96 metres, 2. Maha Singh, India, 7.50, 3. Ahmed F. Al Dossary, Saudi Arabia, 7.36.

(Women): 100m hurdles: 1. Roberts Triscia, Thailand, 13.42 seconds, 2. Sriyani Kulawansa, Sri Lanka, 13.59, 3. Soma Bisuwas, India, 14.68.

800m: 1. Roslanova Tatyana, Kazakhstan, 2 minutes:03.80 seconds, 2. Borisov Iatyana, Kargykistan, 2:04.28, 3. Amireva Zanura, Uzbekistan, 2:06.63;

Shot putt: 1. Du Xianhui, Singapore, 18.07m, 2. Zhang Guirong, Singapore, 17.47, 3. Karaeyan Juthaporn, Thailand, 16.27.

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