Fourteen-year-old Waruna Attanayake showed a cool head as he lowered an 18-year-old record, clearing a height of 1.85 metres in the Under-15 Boys high jump of the Sir John Tarbet Junior Athletics Championship here at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, yesterday.
The boy from Lyceum International School, Wattala was seen advising and backing fellow jumpers, instead of making jumps, until the bar was raised to 1.64 metres. Incidentally, it was the bronze medal height cleared by his teammate Sapna Senarathne.
His closest rival, Uthpala Ranasinghe of Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya, pulled out after clearing 1.69 metres leaving it to Attanayake to battle for the record. A calm and collected Attanayake cleared the 1.70 and 1.79 metres heights with comprehensive ease before breaking the previous record (1.81 metres) held by Priyamal Dias of Maris Stella College, Negombo with a jump of 1.82 metres. He further raised the record to 1.85 metres and stopped after making one failed attempt at 1.88 metres.
He said he would have loved to further improve the record but decided against it due to a back pain.
It was the only record to shatter on the opening day of the 44th edition as only eight finals were held.
Athletes taking part in discus throw and shot putt events had to battle gusty winds and muddy conditions.
Janani Gayana de Silva of Ave Maria Convent Negombo cleared a distance of 24.66 metres to win the Under- 15 Girls’ discus throw. She was easily the tallest athlete among some 30 plus participants and pipped St. Lawrence’s Convent athlete Sachini Madushika by 0.55 metres to win. She said that she was not content with her achievement as she had a target of 28 metres. Ashmi Kavindya of St. Rita’s College, Thaldeka was placed third with a feat of 23 metres.
Maris Stella College, Negombo thrower Meran Kavinda Perera won a close competition in the Under-15 boys shot putt as he cleared a distance of 12.27 metres to win ahead of Salinda Dileesha of Sri Sangabodhi Central, Katukenda who was just two centimeters behind (silver with 12.25 metres). Dananjaya Pushpakumara of Prince College, Ratnapura (11.99 metres) settled for the bronze but later earned accolades winning the Discus Throw with a throw of 34.99 metres. Shafwan Ahmed of Loyala College, Kochchikade (34.70m) and Kavinda Perera (34.48 m) were the winners of silver and bronze medals respectively.
Under-14 girls shot putt was won by K.G.D.N. Weerasinghe of Central College, Veyangoda who threw a distance of 8.34 metres. Himara Perera of St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Milagiriya (8.28 m) and Navodya Perera of Good Shepherd B.M.V, Wattala (7.85m) were second and third respectively.
In the Under-14 girls’ javelin throw Hashan Tharushi of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda threw a distance of 24.86 metres to win the gold, while Erangi Perera (23.09m) of Maliyadeva Girls’ School and Sithmini Perera (21.14m) of Ave Maria Convent, Negombo won the second and third places.
Ave Maria Convent won its second gold of the day when Nirmani Rajapaksha won the Under-14 Girls high jump with a height of 1.42 metres. Tharuka Silva (1.39m) of Holy Cross College, Gampaha and Sandithi Jayasekara (1.36m) of Musaeus College, Colombo were the silver and bronze medal winners respectively.
