Sri Lanka Army athlete Geethani Rajasekara proved that she had not burnt all her energy in her quest to establish a National Marathon record last month, when she won the women’s 5,000 metres in a new meet record time at the Defense Services Athletics Championships at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Monday.
Rajasekara competed at the Colombo Marathon against odds and established a new Sri Lanka women’s Marathon record last month. When some leading athletes skipped country’s only international marathon under the instructions of their superiors at Army, Navy and Air Force, Rajasekara made her marathon debut last month. Many speculated that she could face repercussions if she failed at the Defense Services meet.
However she had other ideas on Monday when she clocked 16 minutes and 35.08 seconds to establish a new meet record. She broke the record held by D.A. Inoka (2006- 16.37.41 secs.)
In a closely contested women’s 800 metres Sri Lanka Air Force athlete Nimali Liyanarachchi (W.K.L.A. Nimali) beat former national champion Champika Dilrukshi and Asian Games participant Thushari Abeyratne to win the much looked forward to contest .
This was the second time the Commonwealth Games participant Nimali and Asian Games participant Abeyratne were contesting for supremacy within a month following their international participation. First was the National Sports Festival at Anuradhapura. Nimali who was trailing in the third place until the last 300 metres, pipped Dilrukshi to the second place during the last 20 metres as she clocked two minutes and 05.57 seconds to win.
While Dilrukshi clocked two minutes and 05.90 seconds, Abeyratne finished third in a time of 2:06.92 seconds.
The results of other events conducted on day one of the championship were not available when this edition went to press.
