COLOMBO, May 8 (ePRESS) – Sri Lanka’s record breaking swimming sensation MF Muhammad of Zahira College produced a record-breaking performance on the opening day of the three-day Selection Trial by smashing the men’s 50m breaststroke national record at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo.
Training under Killer Whale Aquatics, Muhammad clocked a stunning 29.03 seconds to erase the previous national record of 29.24 seconds held by Kiran Jasinghe. The former record was established at the Australian Championships in Gold Coast, Australia in 2023.
The talented breaststroke specialist once again confirmed his growing status as one of Sri Lanka’s top swimmers with a powerful swim that highlighted his rapid improvement on the national stage.
Muhammad also came agonisingly close to rewriting another national record later in the day in the men’s 100m butterfly event. He clocked an impressive 54.89 seconds, missing the decade-old national record of 54.33 seconds held by double Olympian Matthew Abeysinghe by only 0.56 seconds.
Interestingly, Abeysinghe is also Muhammad’s head coach at Killer Whale Aquatics.
Muhammad comfortably won the men’s 100m butterfly event with nearly a four-second advantage over his nearest competitor, underlining his excellent form ahead of upcoming international competitions.
The three-day Selection Trial, organised by Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union, is being conducted to select swimmers for future international events including the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
