Udayangani sets new Pole Vault record

Bernard Perera

J. M., Ishara Udayangani student from Yasodara Balika Vidyalyaa and S. Mihirani de Silva from Kandy District achieved their best when both of them erased the existing pole vault record at the selection trials which concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

Udayangani went over the bar at 2.80m while Mihirani cleared 2.70 to better record which stood at 2.65m.

D. A. Inoka the long distance runner who won the 5000m on day one made it a double winning the 10,000m clocking 37.33.15 secs. representing Sri Lanka Army.

The 100m sprinter from Gateway International school Shehan Ambepitiya who won was the star at the South Asian Junior Games held in Sri Lanka proved that he is the best for the event. Yesterday he clocked a time of 10.60 secs to win with ease. Last weekend too he had a field day winning the sprints at the Inter International Schools meet.

It is also notable to see four runners complete the event under 10.8 secs, which is a good sign for the 4x100m relay.

Earlier the Lankan sprinters who competed in the 4 x 100m had average time of 10.8. The recent timing will pave the way for our relay team to reach the Asian competition with confidence. This is a fact that the coaches should take great care in handling the sprinters to maintain their consistency.

Prasanna Amarasekera in the absence of Rohan Pradeep Kumara won the 400m with ease. Prasanna was not at his best up to 300m mark but he put everything he had in the final 100m to overrun I. M. R. Pushpakumara and Asoka Jayasundera. Prasanna clocked 46.95 while Pushpakumara and Jayasundera clocked 47.47 and 47.77 secs respectively.

Lasanthi Deepika from Police SC won the 400m women's event clocking 54.87 secs. She too had to work hard in the last stages as Chandrika Subashini and P. S. M. Zoysa were ahead from start of the race.

Nalin Priyantha cleared only 2.12m in the High Jump. In the women's 400m Hurdle it was P. S. M. Zoysa (Air Force) who clocked 1.00.72 secs to win the event.

The women's 100m event saw Jani Chathurangani de Silva (SL Navy) finish the event with a time of 11.91 secs. She was followed by D. D. P. Priyadarshani and B. D. G. Pathmakumari. Jani Chathurangani though she won the event will have to wait for the final decision of Arbitration Committee report to clear her from the doping scandal.

Once it is received the selection committee will have to come with the final decision whether she could compete in the future meets.