The National and Junior National Aquatic Championships 2016 started off on 26th November, at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex. The swimming meet is due to be held from the 26th to the 29th of November.
In the Men’s Open 400 LC Meter Freestyle, B Dilanka Shehan of Nalanda College emerged first beating K Abeysinghe and 7 others with a timing of 4 minutes and 12 seconds. In the women’s race, I.E Senanayake of Killer Whale Aquatics (KWA) won with a timing of 4 minutes and 4 seconds.
The Men’s Open 100 LC Meter Butterfly was won by K.P.S.B De Silva of the Sri Lanka Navy with a timing of 58 seconds and the women’s event was won by R.K Rankothge of again, the Sri Lanka Navy clocking 1 minute and 10 seconds.
The Men’s Open 200 LC Meter Backstroke saw Akalanka Peiris of St. Peter’s College emerging first with a timing of 2 minutes and 15 seconds while I.E Senanayake of KWA won the women’s race.
In the relay races, Sri Lanka Navy won the Men’s Open 400 LC Meter Medley Relay with a team comprising of K.P Manawadu, V.G.L.S Kausalya, J Munasinghe and K De Silva with a timing of 4 minutes and 3.64 seconds beating Killer Whale Aquatics by less than a second’s difference.
In the junior Boy’s under 15 400 LC Meter Freestyle, P Arukshan of KWA managed to beat M Pramodith Cooray of Ananda College with a narrow 2 second margin. In the Girls Under 15 50 LC Meter Breaststroke, Shanali Perera of Lyceum International School won her race easily with a timing of 37 seconds.
The remaining races of the swimming meet will be held within the next two days at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool complex.