The 2026 National & Junior National Long Course Swimming Championships concluded on the 3rd of August, at the Sugathadasa swimming pool complex, following five days of competition, with a series of record-breaking performances highlighting a highly competitive meet. Organized by Sri Lanka Aquatics, the championships were held from 30th of July to the 3rd of August and saw swimmers across the senior and junior categories battle for national honors.
A total of 11 new records were established during the championships, with five National Records and six Junior National Records being rewritten across individual and relay events.
Among the senior swimmers, Muhammad Fidhyan produced one of the standout performances of the championships, setting a new National Record in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke with a time of 1:04.40. Dilanka Shehan also lowered the National Record in the Men’s 800m Freestyle, stopping the clock at 8:44.10.
In the women’s events, Jessie Senevirathne established a new National Record in the 50m Butterfly with a time of 29.05. Killer Whale Aquatics further strengthened its presence at the top of the national swimming scene by setting new National Records in both senior medley relay events. Its women’s quartet recorded 2:01.47 in the 200m Medley Relay, while the men’s team clocked 1:46.22.
The junior categories also produced several notable record-breaking performances. A.A. Sakidu Pigera emerged as one of the leading performers, setting a new Under-15 Junior National Records in both the 400m Freestyle, with a time of 4:29.80, and the 800m Freestyle, clocking 9:26.59.
W.W.D. Yashintha established a new Under-15 Junior National Record in the 50m Breaststroke with a time of 33.14, while Hashel Senarath set a new mark in the Under-15 400m Individual Medley with a time of 5:04.64.
Lyceum International School Wattala also enjoyed a strong junior campaign, setting new Junior National Records in both the Girls’ and Boys’ Under-15 400m Medley Relays. The girls’ team finished in 5:11.37, while the boys’ team recorded 4:39.38.
The individual rankings reflected the depth of competition throughout the championships. Hiruki De Silva of Killer Whale Aquatics topped the women’s individual standings with 23 points, ahead of teammates Kaitlyn De Zilwa on 18 and Zoe Tollit on 17. In the men’s standings, Muhammad Fidhyan of Killer Whale Aquatics led with 23 points, followed by Moratuwa Aquatic Club’s Astakhov Nikita on 21 and Dilanka Shehan on 15.
Hiruki De Silva was crowned the Women’s Champion, while Muhammad Fidhyan claimed the Men’s Champion title, giving Killer Whale Aquatics both senior individual championship honors.
Killer Whale Aquatics’ success extended beyond the individual standings, with the club finishing first in both senior team categories. It accumulated 803 points in the women’s competition, comfortably ahead of Lyceum International School Wattala on 382 and Lyceum International School Gampaha on 290. In the men’s competition, Killer Whale Aquatics finished on 706 points, ahead of St. Joseph’s College with 415 and St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, with 202.
The junior team competitions saw St. Joseph’s College claim the Under-15 boys’ title with 438 points, while Lyceum International School Wattala topped the Under-15 girls’ standings with 369 points. Trinity College Kandy finished second in the boys’ category with 322 points, while Killer Whale Aquatics and Visakha Vidyalaya followed Lyceum Wattala in the girls’ standings with 271 and 265 points respectively.
The individual junior standings further underlined the strength of the next generation, with Hashel Senarath of Gateway College Colombo leading the Under-15 boys’ rankings with 25 points. A.A. Sakidu Pigera of St. Joseph’s College and Thimeth Rajapakse of Killer Whale Aquatics shared second place with 21 points each. In the Under-15 girls’ category, Megumi Kularathna of Lyceum International School Wattala led with 22 points, followed by Visakya Dias of Lyceum International School Nugegoda on 21 and Liyara De Soysa of Colombo International School on 16.
With national and junior national records falling across individual and relay events, the 2026 championships provided a strong indication of the depth of talent emerging through Sri Lankan swimming. The performances of established senior swimmers and the record-setting efforts of the country’s younger competitors combined to make the five-day championship a significant showcase of the sport’s continued progression throughout the country.
