IAAF World U20 Championship which is being held in Tampere, Finland commenced today with two Sri Lankan Junior athletes, Steeple chaser Parami Wasanthi and 800m athlete Dilishi Kuarasinghe, taking the field on the opening day of the 5-day competition.
Team of 11 for IAAF World Youth 2018
Sri Lanka will be sending a team of 11 athletes to the IAAF …
Junior Record run by Parami
Golden girl at the Asian Junior Athletic Championship, Parami Wasanthi Maristella opened Sri Lanka’s campaign at the IAAF World U20 Championship today competing in the second heat of the Women’s 3000m steeple chase. 
18-year-old Parami, who is competing alongside athletes two years her senior, showcased great maturity and determination throughout the course of the demanding competition and was placed 5th, clocking a new personal best time of 10:20.12 which is also a New Sri Lanka Junior record in the event. However, she missed out on a spot in the final which will be held on Friday (13th) with only the first three from each heat plus the next six fastest earning qualification to the final. Mutile Yavi of African descent representing Bahrain won the heat Parami participated in with Agrie Belachew of Ethiopia and Kristlin Gear of USA winning the remaining automatic qualification spots in the heat.
The Athlete with the all-time second-best timing in the Women’s 3000m steeple Chase, the reigning champion in the U20 championship Celliphine Chespol showcased that she was in a class of her own as she managed to win the first heat of the competition with a commanding lead to finish the race in 9:45.60. She will however face an incredible challenge from the Ugandan athlete Peruth Chemutai who won the third heat and had the best overall time from the three heats clocking 9:34.34.
Having become the Asian Junior Champion, winning Gold at the recently concluded Asian Championship which was held Gifu, Japan, Parami continued her great form to the Asian qualification round for the Youth Olympic Games where she managed to win Gold with an impressive performance in the final of the 2000m Steeple chase recording the best time clocked in the event for the year. This performance places her as the favorite to win the Gold at the Youth Olympic Games which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October this year.
Disappointing outing for Dilishi
Upcoming talent from Walala A Ratnayake College, Dilishi Kumarasinghe, Bronze medalist at the Asian Junior with a new Personal best, competed in the 4th heat of the Women’s 800m. Dilishi who clocked her personal best time of 2:04.53 at the Asian Juniors required to finish her heat in the top 4 to secure a spot in the semifinal.
Dilishi started off the race well, keeping up with the front bunch throughout the first 400m of the competition. Entering the second lap of the race Dilishi found it challenging to find a way through the crowd and in an attempt to run around the leaders it looked like she pulled a muscle in her leg as she dropped to the back of the race suddenly and finished last in her heat.
Sri Lanka’s leading medal hope at the competition, Quarter-miler Aruna Darshana will compete in the 400m Heats tomorrow (11th) at 1.50 pm Sri Lankan time. Keep it logged on to https://www.thepapare.com/athletics/ as we bring you news from the IAAF World U20 Championship as it happens.
