Sri Lanka got a little something to celebrate in the Kazan World Swimming Championships as Kimiko Raheem created history in the swimming records of the country setting the new national record in the 200m back stroke event registering a time of 2 minute and 21.18 seconds.
The 16th World Championships that started off in Kazan on the 24th of July will see conclusion on the 9th of August and currently China and the United States top the medal list. The only consolation for the Sri Lankan swimmers was Kimiko Raheem’s achievement where she broke a 22 year old record which was set by Dipika Chanmugam in 1990.
Kimiko, the youngest of the Raheem family competed in the Kazan world championships representing both Sri Lanka and FINA who currently sponsors her scholarship to train in their training facility in Thiyanapura. The Asian International School swimmer finished 41st in the heats in the overall and did not get the green light to go forward.
Kimiko’s counterpart, Anandian Cherantha De Silva who also is sponsored by FINA in their scholarships participated in both 100m butterfly and 50m freestyle events clocking 57.79 seconds and 24.32 seconds respectively. Cherantha’s timings placed him 60th and 64th in the heats. Meanwhile Kimiko’s elder sibling, Machiko Raheem registered a timing of 59.50 to finish in 64th place and Sri Lanka’s highlight swimmer Matthew Abeysinghe ended up in an overall 59th position when he finished with a timing of 50.93.
The final event which Sri Lanka participated was the 50 meter freestyle event in which Kimiko Raheem ended up with a timing of 27.49 seconds in the 64th rank. The other notable achievement for the country was the 4X100m mixed medley where the Raheem sisters teamed up with Matthew Abeysinghe and Cherantha De Silva to finish in the overall 22nd position clocking 4 minutes 19.24 seconds.
The contingent is set to arrive in the country in the next two days.
