By Channaka de Silva
Susathika the sole representative of Sri Lanka on the track.
Sri Lanka’s hopes at the World Athletics championships lie on the shoulders of champion athlete Susanthika Jayasinghe who remains the last bastion of the country golden era in athletics.
Jayasinghe who has been the strength of local athletics in the past with a World championships and an Olympic medal among her laurels is the sole athlete from Sri Lanka who has qualified for the world championships this year, marking an end to a period of time when Sri Lanka used to send dozens of athletes to the world’s highest track and field showpieces.
Jayasinghe at 31, is not getting any younger will not be a top favourite unlike in the past, but the determined Sri Lankan has baffled and shocked the world a few times in the past.
Clocking an excellent 11.9 seconds in winning the gold at last month’s Asian championships, Jayasinghe has once again hit the top level, but still a lot of improvement may be needed at the world’s top according to experts.
Yogananda Wijesundera, a former top coach and director of the country’s sports training institute, believes that Jayasinghe would be able to make it to the finals of the 100 metres event at the World championships according to her timing at the Asian championships, but says there are hardly any hopes in the 200 metres.“Theoretically Susanthika can’t reach above 22.8 in the 200 metres according to her 100 metres timing. At her age, the neuro-muscular co-ordination is not as good as when you are younger, so, it is impossible to do better. But if she can maintain the Asian championships timing she can enter the final of the 100 metres” Wijesundera said.
Wijesundera also commented that the level of the country’s standards has fallen and a lot of work is needed to regain the past glory.
According to latest IAAF world rankings Jayasinghe remains at number 18 in the 100 metres and number 20 in the 200 metres.
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