COLOMBO, Apr 8 (ePRESS) – Rainbow Aquatics, guided by legendary Sri Lanka Olympic swimmer Julian Bolling and coach Penuka Wijemanna, proved their supremacy as three of their swimmers were crowned national age group champions at the 50th HNB National Age Group Swimming Championship, organised by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) and concluded at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo on Monday.
In a top class performance, Rainbow Aquatics produced a blend of endurance, versatility and technical excellence, underlining the strength of their training programme and athlete development pathway.
Leading the charge was Rushalee Dissanayake of Musaeus College, competing in her first year in the Under-17 Girls category, who delivered a sensational all-round performance. She clinched six gold medals out of all six events she competed — 1500m Freestyle (1st with a new meet record of 19:38.13), 800m Freestyle (1st), 400m Freestyle (1st), 200m Freestyle (1st), 50m Butterfly (1st) and 50m Backstroke (1st).
Her record-breaking swim in the 1500m Freestyle erased the previous mark of 20:10.53 set by Dinali Karunadasa of Visakha Vidyalaya in 2022, highlighting her dominance in long-distance events. At the same time, her victories in sprint disciplines such as the 50m Butterfly and 50m Backstroke showcased rare versatility across both endurance and speed events.
Rushalee’s outstanding performances also earned her the distinction of being the Under-17 Champion with the highest points tally across all age groups, marking her as one of the brightest rising stars in Sri Lankan swimming.
In the Under-15 Boys category, Sakindu Pigera of St. Joseph’s College delivered a flawless campaign, sweeping all freestyle events. He secured five gold medals in the 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 800m Freestyle and 1500m Freestyle, dominating middle and long-distance races with consistency and control.
Meanwhile, in the Over-20 Men’s category, Senitha Thenuwara of the Sri Lanka Air Force showcased his all-round strength in medley and butterfly events. He claimed gold in the 200m Medley (2:20.41), 400m Medley (5:18.43), 200m Butterfly (2:21.83) and 100m Butterfly (59.02), while also finishing second in the 50m Butterfly (27.07) and 50m Backstroke (29.19).
Out of the seven swimmers fielded by Rainbow Aquatics, three emerged as national age group champions, a clear indication of the club’s high-performance structure.
The depth of the squad was further evident with strong performances from Onel Perera, Naduli Gamage and Anjalee Sathsarani, who also impressed in their respective events and contributed to the team’s overall success.
Under the guidance of Julian Bolling — one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated Olympic swimmers — Rainbow Aquatics continues to build a new generation of champions, combining elite coaching with a structured development system.
With rising stars like Rushalee Dissanayake leading the way, the future of Sri Lankan swimming looks bright, as Rainbow Aquatics continues to create strong impact at the national level.
