Swimming star Daniel Lee returns to Sri Lanka

Leslie Fernando

Daniel Lee, currently the most promosing male swimmer of the country has brought and continues to bring fame and honour to Sri Lanka by doing what he likes best is back in the Island from Australia after training and competing at the state championships there.

The 18 year old Sri Lanka 'powerhouse' Lee who has represented the country at two World Swimming Championships, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and South Asian Games proved to be the fastest free style swimmer in Victorian State Schools.

Lee who swam at the Catholic Schools Swimming meet along with 180 competitors in Melbourne won the 100 metres free style 'clocking' 54.24 secs and bettered his own national record. He also won the 50 metres free style event with time of 24.24 secs to erase off the national record of 24.72 secs held by Heshan Unamboowe of Trinity College.

Former Asian International School famed swimmer Lee is attached to Monash University Swimming Academy and he has done his share of training under Ross Price, Australian coach who has trained three Olympic Medalist.

He also qualified to swim in the 50 metres free style event at the Australian Open Short Course Championships.

Lee is what one may call a self made swimmer. 'I did not really check on my recent timings in the 50, 100, 200 metres free style and 200 metres individual medley but if I do anything better than what I did in Australia it should be a bonus for me' Lee said.

Lanky Lee a patriot added that he has been to Australia on three occasions before and after his selection to the South Asian Games Swimming team 2006 and did my best to win five silver medals for the country.

I was most unlucky not to win three gold medals in the 50, 100 and 200 metres free style events. He also established three Sri Lanka records at the FINA World Swimming Championships Short Course Meet held in China in 2006. At the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games Lee entered the second round in two events.

Lee who is also a member of the Nunawading swimming Centre down under is hopeful of continuing his swimming career in the years to come. I gained vast experience training in Australia and also competing at the Australian State Schools Swimming Championships and fared well. Lee's immediate goal of course to swim at the Beijing Olympic Games and the other target to swim in 2012 Olympic Games at Manchester.

Lee added that he undergoes nine swim sessions three gym sessions and physiotherapy sessions of the week and doesn't complain. This is because to improve technical skills for better results explained. Lee almost never wavers from the strict schedule he has to maintain in order to keep in shape. He is presently training under Julian Bolling, SLASU, National Coaching Director.

His latest triumph in Australia should stand him a bright chance to be selected for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games by the Interim Committee of SLASU, Sri Lanka National Sports Council and National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.

According to a senior official of Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union we hope to select two swimmers and an official for the 2008 Beijing Games (as usual we have been sending two swimmers for past Olympic Games and FINA World Championship Meets). But SLASU has not yet decided to hold trials or to pick the swimmers on their international meet performances.