COLOMBO: (ePRESS) – Dubai-based swimmer Julie Hope has established her name further into Sri Lanka’s swimming history, breaking two junior national records on the second day of the National and Junior National Short Course Swimming Championship at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool in Colombo yesterday.
Hope, who trains under Janaka Prasad’s Colombo Swimming Academy, claimed her third new junior national record by smashing the Under-15 Girls’ 200m Freestyle record. She clocked an impressive 2:14.69 in the finals, erasing the previous record of 2:18.20 set by Hiruki de Silva of Gateway College Colombo in 2019. Hope had earlier posted 2:17.66 in the preliminaries, but improved by three seconds in the final to set a new benchmark.
In her second record-breaking performance of the day, Hope also claimed the Girls Under-15 50m Backstroke title with a time of 31.41, breaking the previous record of 31.59 set by Akithmi Wasalathanthri of Lyceum Wattala in 2019. Hope had narrowly missed the record in the preliminaries with a time of 31.48, but made the adjustment to surpass it in the final.
In the senior category, UK-based swimmer Minagi Rupesinghe turned heads by breaking a decade-old senior national record in the Women’s 400m Individual Medley. Rupesinghe clocked a new best of 5:08.03, trimming five seconds off the previous record of 5:13.26 set by the legendary Machiko Raheem of KWA in 2015.
Unattached swimmer Zoe Tollit had an excellent performance, breaking the Sri Lanka Girls’ 100m Breaststroke junior national record for the second time in the meet. Tollit clocked 1:15.46 in the final, surpassing the previous record of 1:17.70 set by Ramudi Samarakoon in 2016. Notably, Tollit had already surpassed the junior national record in the preliminaries with a time of 1:17.47.
In other junior record-breaking performances, Dilushi Dilsara of Lyceum International School set a new record in the Girls Under-15 400m Individual Medley, posting a time of 5:35.95 to break the previous mark of 5:39.47, set by her schoolmate Shazna Mahir in 2017.
AIM Haathim from St Peter’s College also set a new junior national record in the Boys Under-15 100m Breaststroke with a time of 1:09.38, eclipsing the previous record of 1:11.70 set by ANN Dabare of Ananda College in 2023.
The day’s only relay record was claimed by the Lyceum International School Wattala Under-15 400m Medley Relay team. The quartet of Inuki Muthuhetti, Dilushi Dilsara, Seyara Wijesinghe, and Jennaly Weerasinghe clocked 5:08.09, surpassing the previous record of 5:09.60 set by Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya in 2022.
Day 2 records:
Julie Hope: Under-15 200m Freestyle (2:14.69), Under-15 50m Backstroke (31.41)
Minagi Rupasinghe: Women’s 400m Individual Medley (5:08.03)
Zoe Tollit: Junior Girls’ 100m Breaststroke (1:15.46)
Dilushi Dilsara: Under-15 400m Individual Medley (5:35.95)
AIM Haathim: Boys Under-15 100m Breaststroke (1:09.38)
Lyceum International School: Under-15 400m Medley Relay (5:08.09)
