Sports
Dhammika Ratnaweera
Yupun Abeykoon
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Sri Lankan champion sprinter Yupun Abeykoon renewed his own National Men’s 100m record, as well as the South Asian record with a time of 10.06 seconds (wind-0.2), at the Anhalt 2022 International Athletic Meet in Germany yesterday.
It was a superb run by 27-year-old Abeykoon who is based in Italy for further training focused on the next International Games such as Commonwealth Games, Asian Games as well as World Athletic Championships.
Yupun ran in the fifth lane and produced his best achievement in this event while he was defeating more focused Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala the current African record holder (9.77 seconds) in this competition. Omanyala was running next to Yupun in the sixth lane yesterday but the Sri Lankan athlete took a clear lead to finish in record time to erase his previous National record (10.15 seconds) in this event which was set by him on May 13 last year. After one year he was able to renew his 100 m record with more confidence.
Abeykoon a product of St. Joseph Vaz, Wennappuwa, who joined the Sri Lanka Army is in top form these days while he also set a new Sri Lanka record in the 200m in 20.37 seconds (wind +0.1) seconds at an athletics event in Italy on May 22. Within four days he was able to set up new 100m and 200m National records as well as South Asian records.
His intention is very clear as qualifying for the World Championship which is scheduled to be held from July 15 t0 24 in Eugene, Oregon, USA According to the Vice President of Sri Lanka Athletics G.L.S Perera Yupun is more focused on world athletic championships and he has more chance in the 200m according to world rankings. The sprinter already has a good chance to win medals at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games and he presently maintains good form added S.L.A Vice President G.L.S Perera.
“Actually it has been a record-breaking season for the sprinter Abeykoon as he has established some incredible times in the 100m, 150m, and 200m over the last month,” said Chairman of the National Athletic Selection committee Wimalasena Perera who himself was a former Olympian Marathoner. Yupun Abeykoon competed at the last Tokyo Olympics and he has a good chance to go for the 2024 Olympics in France and get more opportunities at the European circuit meet and training in Italy always gives much-needed exposure said the National Selection Committee Chairman, Wimalasena Perera.
Friday, May 27, 2022 – 01:00
