Three new national records set up on day two

Ranjan ANANDAPPA

In an eventful day of competitive swimming three new national records and five age group records were set up at the National and Junior National Aquatic Championship on day two at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium Pool yesterday.

The Championship is organized by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union.

Among the new national record breakers were. Gihara Sachini Amarasinghe (14 years) in the women’s 50m butterfly stroke with a timing of 31.33. Heshan Unamboowe (16 years) of Trinity College, Kandy 54.01 in the men’s 100m free style and Miniruwani Samarakoon (16 years) of Gateway International Kandy clocking 1:9.61 in the women’s 100m free style.

Besides the two Age Group records established on Thursday by Cherantha de Silva (12 years) of Ananda College in the under 14 50m butterfly stroke (29.93) and Sithara Perera (12 years) of British School of Colombo who won the 50 metres butterfly stroke in record breaking timings, there were three more new records created in the Age Group category.

Royalist Chandula Fernando (12 years) swam the boys under 14 400m. free style in a record breaking fashion with a timing of 4.41.09, Machiko Rahim (12 years) broke the existing girls under 14 100m. free style with a timing of 1.03.68. She also went onto better the girls under 14 back stroke with a timing of 34.45

At the end of the second day of the meet Musaeus College was leading the points table with 99 points, while Mahamaya College, Kandy with 68 points and Otter Aquatic Club 57 points were placed second and third in the Women’s Junior Nationals.

In the Women’s Senior Nationals Mahamaya College Kandy with 186 points, Visakha Vidyalaya 130 points and St. Bridget’s Convent with 84 points secured the first three places.

Ananda College (115 points), Royal (99 points) and St. Joseph’s (92 points) took the top three berths in the Junior Nationals (Men’s) division while Ananda maintained their supremacy in the senior national category as well collecting 170 points to the Josephians (159 points) and Trinity’s 145 points. Today is the final day of the meet.