Nimali Liyanarachchi -wins Gold

Sri Lanka’s solitary medalist at the recently concluded Asian Athletics Championships, Nimali Liyanarachchi eased to victory at the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix (AGP) series which was held at in Pathum Thani, Thailand yesterday.

Among 13 Sri Lankan athletes who took part in the first of three AGP legs this year, Nimali was the only gold medalist. She clocked 2:07.18 secs in her pet event, the women’s 800 metres event while her former training partner Gayanthika Abeyratne, who clocked a disappointing 2:07.95 secs, was placed fourth.

Nimali was hoping to better the 23-year old Sri Lanka record for the women’s 800 metres, owned by Sriyani Dhammika Manike after missing the same by a whisker at Wuhan earlier this month. However, Nimali will have two more shots within the next few days, at the second and third legs of the AGP.

The Sri Lanka men’s 4X100m relay team, who broke the Sri Lanka record twice at the Asian Championship while finishing fourth, secured the silver medal at Bangkok last afternoon.

The Lankan team which included Himasha Eshan, Shehan Ambepitiya, Vinoj Suranjaya and Mohomed Ashroff, clocked 39.58 seconds to grab the second place behind Hong Kong team who won the gold with 39.41 seconds. Thailand finished third with 39.65 seconds.

Indunil Herath ran a much faster 800-metre final than he did at Wuhan and added a silver to his account. He clocked 1:49.52 seconds behind India’s Jinson Johnson who clocked 1:49.52 seconds and this kind of a run could have easily brought him a silver medal at the recently concluded Asian Championships.

Among the other Lankan athletes who tried their luck at the Asian Grand Prix yesterday, Manjula Kumara was placed fifth (2.19m) in the men’s high jump, Amila Jayasiri finished eighth (7.11m) in the men’s long jump, Waruna Lakshan Dayaratne was ranked sixth (71.09m) in the Men’s Javelin Throw and in the men’s 400 metres, Kalinga Kumarage (47.05 sec) and Anjana Gunaratne (47.32 sec) were placed fifth and seventh in the overall rankings.

The second leg of the AGP will be held in Chanthaburi on June 29. CW

Sri Lankans at first leg of AGP

800m women:

Nimali Liyanaarachchi – 1st (2:07.18 sec),

Gayanthika Abeyratne – 4th (2:07.95 sec)

800 men:

lndunil Herath – 2nd (1:49.52 sec)

4X100m Relay men:

Sri Lanka – 2nd (39.58 sec)

High Jump Men:

Manjula Kumara – 5th (2.19m)

Long Jump men:

Amila Jayasiri – 8th (7.11m)

Javelin Throw Men:

Waruna Lakshan – 6th (71 .09m)

400m men- Kalinga Kumarage – 5th overall

(47.05 sec), Anjana Gunaratne -7th overall (47.32 sec)