Anuradha in Olympic marathon tomorrow

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from England.

Sri Lanka's Anuradha Indrajith Cooray will be seen in action at the men's marathon of the XXXth Olympic Games to be worked off on Sunday at 11 a.m. - 3.30 p.m. Sri Lanka time.

The veteran long distance runner is the most experienced member in the Sri Lanka contingent for London Games, having competed at the Athens Olympics eight years ago. He qualified to run in his second Olympic marathon after reaching qualifying standards at 2012 London Marathon last April.

“I want to improve on my personal best and finish within the first 15 competitors. It is going to be tough but I am confident that I could make my presence felt,” 34-year-old Cooray said as he make his final preparations for the big event. But his British coach Nick Taylor is expecting something more than that. Taylor has not ruled out Cooray coming out with even more creditable performance, apart from a new Sri Lanka record.

AASL Secretary Rear Admiral Shemal Fernando, who is the Athletic team leader of the Sri Lanka contingent, said Cooray has been training hard over the past few months and should be able to make his presence felt.

The start and the finish of the men's marathon will be at The Mall, an iconic location in central London and a popular backdrop for formal ceremonies and major sporting events. Its iconic red road will give the effect of a giant red carpet for athletes participating in the road events. LONDON, Friday.