COLOMBO: (ePRESS) – Jayden de Silva, a 14-year-old rising star in Sri Lankan swimming, swimmer from Stafford International School became the first-ever junior national swimmer in Sri Lanka to swim the 100m Butterfly event in under one minute, setting a new national record in the process at the National and Junior National Short Course Swimming Championships organized by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU), held at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo.
De Silva’s remarkable achievement came when he clocked an impressive 59.58 seconds in the 100m Butterfly, surpassing the previous junior national record of 1:01.03, which had stood for six years. The old record was held by Amodya Dulshan of Nalanda College, who set it in 2018. De Silva’s new record erased this mark by over three seconds. Notably, the junior national champion AIM Haathim from St. Peter’s College, also exceeded the old record with a time of 1:00.04, claiming the silver medal.
In addition to his groundbreaking performance in the 100m Butterfly, Jayden de Silva also excelled in the 200m Butterfly. With a time of 2:17.22, he set a new junior national record, surpassing the previous mark of 2:18.87 set by Vihanga Caldera of St. Peter’s College in 2022. His performance in the preliminaries, where he clocked 2:17.45, had already hinted at the record-breaking potential. His new time not only earned him the gold medal but also established his position as one of Sri Lanka’s most promising young swimmers.
De Silva’s triumphs did not stop there. He continued to dominate in the pool by winning the gold medal in the junior national 100m Backstroke, clocking 1:02.91. His victory was even more impressive as he finished with a lead of over three seconds ahead of the silver medalist.
Despite his outstanding success, Jayden also secured silver medals in the 200m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly events, clocking 2:18.92 and 27.13 seconds, respectively. These additional podium finishes proved that his skill and versatility are not confined to just one stroke or distance.
Training under the guidance of Head Coach Manoj Abeysinghe and supported by a team of experts including Double Olympian Matthew Abeysinghe and Paris Olympic swimmer Kyle Abeysinghe at Killer Whale Aquatics (KWA), Jayden de Silva’s performance at the Junior National Championships speaks volumes about his hard work and dedication. Under the mentorship of such accomplished coaches, Jayden’s potential for future success appears limitless.
With a total of five medals — three gold and two silver — De Silva has not only set new records but has also proven that he is ready to take on even greater challenges in the years to come.
