ISIPATHANA, Colombo: (ePRESS) – Megumi Kularathna of the Ghefari Dulapandan Swimming School made history as Sri Lanka’s youngest-ever junior swimmer to break a girls’ 200m butterfly junior national record, clinching three gold medals in butterfly events at the National and Junior National Short Course Swimming Championship 2024, organized by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLaSU), was held at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo.
Megumi, just 12 years old, smashed a five-year-old record in the 200m butterfly event, clocking 2:37.86 and shaving off three seconds from Oneli Yahampath’s 2019 record of 2:40.01. Her remarkable lead of 17 seconds over the silver medalist hhighlighted her dominance in the event.
The butterfly specialist also claimed gold in the 100m event, finishing with a photofinish time of 1:10.25, narrowly edging out unattached 14-year-old Zoe Tollit, who clocked 1:10.63 for silver. In the 50m butterfly, Megumi completed her golden hat-trick with a time of 31.72. Despite missing records in the 50m and 100m events by less than a second, her performances showcased her exceptional talent and potential.
Currently based in Japan, Megumi contributed to her team’s relay success, earning two bronze medals for the Ghefari Dulapandan Swimming School. She anchored the 200m freestyle relay with a time of 2:04.84 and the 400m freestyle relay, clocking 4:36.06. Her relay teammates included Alaena Mouffer, Linole Wijesekara, and Z Amath.
Coached by former South Asian Games gold medalist Dr. Ghefari Dulapandan at the Ghefari Dulapandan Swim School in Colombo, Megumi’s achievements mark a new milestone in Sri Lanka’s junior swimming history, setting her on a path to greater heights in the sport.
