Nimali Liyanarachchi competes at a local event at the Sugathdasa Stadium. The athlete from Sooriyawewa won the bronze medal of the women’s 800 metres on the final day of the Asian Athletics Championship at Wuhan, China on Sunday.
Sri Lanka Air Force middle distance runner Nimali Liyanarachchi won the country’s only medal at the Asian Athletics Championship 2015, ended in Wuhan, China on Sunday when she reached her personal best in her pet discipline of 800meres.
The athlete from Sooriyawewa came within touching distance of Sriyani Dhammika Menike’s 1992 Sri Lanka record of 2:03.85 seconds to settle for the bronze behind India’s Tintu Luka (gold 2:01.53secs) and hosts’ Zhao Jing (2:03.40 secs).
Her teammate and fellow Sooriyawewa athlete Gayanthika Abeyratne who also qualified for the final settled for the sixth place with a time of 2:07.46 secs.
While last Asian Athletics Championship silver medalist Nadeeka produced a disappointing 52.29 metres throw in the women’s javelin, high jumper Manjula Kumara cleared just 2.20 metres to settle for the sixth position.
Schoolgirl Vidusha Lakshani cleared 12.69 metres to settle for the 7th position in the women’s triple jump. Men’s 4×400 metres relay team were placed sixth for a time of 3:03.19 secs.
