Decisive day for Lanka as Susanthika runs in pet event

Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from Japan

ATHLETICS: It will be a decisive day for Sri Lanka as Olympic medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe launches her women’s 200m campaign on the fifth day of the 11th IAAF World Championship at Nagai Stadium here on Wednesday morning.

The women’s 200m has always been her pet event and the event in which she gifted Sri Lanka with two rare medals - a silver at the IAAF World Championships in Athens, 1997 and a bronze at the Olympic Games in Sydney, 2000.

Hence, the 31-year-old veteran Lankan sprint queen now gets ready for one of the biggest challenges in her life in what looks like her farewell World Championship.

Despite her false start debacle in women’s 100m quarter finals, Jayasinghe is ready to put aside all those setbacks and have a go.

She looked calm, but confident as she completed her final work out today.

“Honestly, I have a dream, a dream of any athlete competing in the big league. But the talent and determination may not work all the time. It has to be your day.

If tomorrow is my day, I could couple my talent and courage and achieve those dreams,” Jayasinghe said.

She added that the summer weather at Nagai Park looks ideal. “The conditions are good and I am looking forward to do something.

I can’t say what that would be. I want to do something that will make my country proud of,” she added.

Jayasinghe has been drawn to run in the first of the six women’s 200m first round heats due to start at 10.40 a.m. on Wednesday (29) - 7.10 a.m. SL time.

She will run in the outer lane eight with Cuban Roxana Dias on her left. Of the eight sprinters down to run in this heat, only the defending champion American Alyson Felix (22.11 seconds) has a better personal best timing than Jayasinghe (22.28).

Jamaican Veronica Campbell, who emerged the fastest women in the 2007 World Championship, will be launching her campaign for that elusive sprint double - a dream of any short distance runner.

The women’s 100m gold medallist in Osaka will run in heat six which also features American Torri Edwards. Of the 43 competitors in women’s 200m heats, Campbell who was placed fourth at the last World Championship, accounts for the best personal timing of 22.05 - which helped her to win the Olympic gold in Athens three years ago.

Felix has the best 2007 season’s timing of 22.18 seconds out of all 200m runners. Coming even somewhat closer to that this season are Muriel Hurtis -Housairi of France (22.38) and Campbell (22.39).

In contrast, Sri Lanka’s Jayasinghe’s best feat in 200m this season has been her 22.99 in winning the gold at the Asian Championship in Jordan. Hence, on current form, Felix stands way ahead but she is bound to face stiff competition from Hurtis -Housairi, Campbell, American Sanya Richards and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of Bahamas.

All in all, it is going to be a keenly contested affair as the women’s 200m quarter finals are scheduled for 7.40 pm (4.10 pm SL time) on Wednesday.