Nadeeka Lakmali completed a hat-trick of victories with an impressive throw in the women’s javelin. Here she makes an attempt at the third leg of the Asian Grand Prix at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday.
W.K.L.A. Nimali leads the women’s 800 metres. Nimali came back from a disappointing performance at the first leg to record back to back victories at the last two legs. (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi, Nimal Dayaratne and Kanishka Hewage
Thrower Nadeeka Lakmali’s hat-trick of victories, W.K.L.A. Nimali’s personal best in the 800 metres, Manjula Kumara’s victory in the men’s high jump and an impressive 400 metres run by Kasun Kalhaara Seneviratne were the highlights as Sri Lankan athletes produced their best performance of the three-legged Asian Grand Prix at the final leg at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday.
Sri Lankan athletes won three first places, two runner up positions and three third places which also included a surprise third place for the local women’s relay quartet after the two Australian teams were disqualified for faulty baton changes.
The 2008 Beijing Olympic participant, Lakmali threw a distance of 58.41 metres in the women’s javelin throw in her final attempt to produce her seasonal best which was just seven centimeters behind her own national record established in the year 2007. She completed a hat-trick of victories having already dominated the first two legs held in Thailand. She saw her training partner Dilhani Lekamge clinching the third place with a throw of 53.67 metres.
In what was a welcome sign for country’s women’s 800 metres future, W.K.L.A Nimali won the race (women’s 800 m) in an impressive time of two minutes and 05.90 seconds. Wearing a repaired pair of shoes, the athlete hailing from Hambantota District led the race from the first round itself to complete a Grand Prix double. She was also the winner at the second leg.
Manjula Kumara, who missed the recently held trials due to suspected dengue and the first two legs of the Grand Prix, won the men’s high jump. He cleared 2.24 metres to beat the Indian duo of Thomas Jithin (2.21m) and Nikil Chitarau (2.21m) who won the second and third places respectively.
Although he could win only a second place, Seneviratne could produce the best time by a Sri Lankan in the men’s 400 metres in almost a year when he produced a sub 47 seconds performance to finish second behind India’s Arokai Ragiv. Seneviratene clocked 46.84 seconds. Sri Lanka’s Kalinga Kumara finished third in a time of 47.31 seconds.
Javelin thrower Sachith Maduranga hurled a throw of 73.99 metres to win the second place in the men’s javelin.
In the men’s 5000 metres D.L. Samarajeewa was placed third with a time of 14 minutes and 43.15 seconds.
The local women’s relay quartet (4x100m) benefited by faulty baton changes of the two Australian teams. The disqualification of the two Australian teams meant that Sri Lanka women secured the third place with a time of 46.21 seconds.
The Australian ‘A’ team included London Olympic 100 metre hurdles gold medalist Sally Pearson, who ran the third lap. The Australian teams were seeking IAAF World Championship qualifying time and they missed it for a second time in this Grand Prix.
