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| Tuesday, 10 June 2003 |
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Susanthika, Dharsha, Pradeep win at Grand Prix fourth leg Chris Dhambarage reporting from Philippine MANILA. Monday , Olympic Games medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe and Asian championships gold medallist Damayanthi Darsha produced two inspiring performances while Rohan Pradeep Kumara bagged the men's 400 metres event in the fourth leg of the Asian Grand Prix Series worked off at the Rizal memorial stadium in Manila here today. Susanthika Jayasinghe took the initiative with a superb start and consolidated her position to finish the women's 100 metres event with a timing of 11.32 seconds. In fact her arch rival Khubbieva Guzel of Uzbekistan who won the event in Bangkok was pushed to the fourth place with a disappointing 11.77 seconds. However Susanthia's timing was not the best in the Grand Prix Series having clocked 11.30 in Hyderabad, 11.53 in Colombo and 11.30 in Bangkok. Even then the victory in Manila would certainly give her the much needed confidence ahead of the World championships which would be worked off in Paris later this year. She was completely unchallenged during the last few metres of the race with Lyubov Perepelova of Uzbekistan clocking 11.56 seconds. She was followed by Orranut Klomdee of Thailand with a timing of 11.58 seconds. Meanwhile Damayanthi Darsha produced an improved performance as she won the women's 400 metres event with a timing of 52.12 seconds. This was incidentally her best effort in the series having clocked 52.78 in Hyderabad, 52.74 in Colombo and 52.20 in Bangkok. Her closest rival Swetlana Bodritkaya of Kazakhastan was placed second with a timing of 53.12 seconds followed by Saowalee Keawchuay of Thailand with a timing of 54.61 seconds. The Sri Lankan trio of Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Sugath Tillekeratne and Prasanna Amarasekera continued their dominance in the men's 400 metres event once again. But this time the order in which they finished the race was different with newcomer Prasanna Amarasekera coming in as second with a good timing of 46.81. This was in fact identical to the timing he returned in Colombo but on that occasion he was placed second. The Asian championships gold medallist Sugath Tillekeratne had to satisfied with the third place clocking 47.12 seconds. In contrast Rohan Pradeep Kumara produced an even a better performance clocking 46.61 seconds to take the first place in this event. Pradeep Kumara clocked 45.95 in Hyderabad, 46.31 in Colombo and 46.77 in bangkok. Sri Lanka's Sriyani Kulawansa was pushed to the second place by Trecia Roberts of Thailand who clocked 12.94 seconds. This was a tremendous improvement by Roberts who also bettered the Asian championships record of 12.97 seconds held by Feng Yun of China in Fukuoka in 1998. Her timings in the Grand Prix Series was 13.22 in Hyderabad, 13.42 in Colombo and 13.23 in bangkok. The results: Women's 100 metres hurdles: (1), Trecia Roberts (Thailand) 12.94, (2), Sriyani Kulawansa (Sri Lanka) 13.33, (3) Soma Biswas (India) 14.15. Women's 100 metres: (1) Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka) 11.32, (2) Lyubov Perepelova (Uzbekistan) 11.56 (3) Orranut Klomdee (Thailand). Women's 400 metres: (1) Damayanthi Darsha (Sri Lanka) 52.12, (2) Svetlana Bodritkaya (Kazakhastan) 53.12, (3) Saowalee Keawchuay (Thailand) 54.61. Men's 400 metres: (1) Rohan Pradeep Kumara (Sri Lanka) 46.61, (2) Prasanna Amarasekera (Sri Lanka) 46.81, (3) Sugath Tillekeratne (Sri Lanka) 47.12. |
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