ISIPATHANA, Colombo: (ePRESS) – Minagi Rupesinghe of Killer Whale Aquatics (KWA) made a stunning achievement on the third day of the National and Junior National Short Course Swimming Championship, hosted by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo.
Rupesinghe shattered the national record in the women’s 1500m Freestyle, slashing an astonishing 40 seconds off the previous mark.
Rupesinghe, who is based in the UK, clocked 18:14.73, breaking the old record of 18:55.44 set by Rushalee Dissanayake of Musaeus College earlier this year. This impressive performance marked her second senior national record at the meet.
In another record-breaking feat, Dinali Karunadasa of Visakha Vidyalaya also surpassed the previous national record in the same event, finishing with a time of 18:51.40, improving by four seconds.
Meanwhile, young 14-year-old swimmer Julie Hope of Cyclone Aquatics in Dubai continued her exceptional run by setting a junior national record in the Girls Under-15 100m Backstroke. Hope posted a time of 1:07.64, breaking the old record of 1:08.55 held by Akithmi Wasalathanthri of Lyceum International School Wattala since 2019. This marked Hope’s fourth new junior national record so far in the meet.
Unattached swimmer Zoe Tollit also made her mark, setting a new junior national record in the Girls Under-15 200m Individual Medley. She clocked 2:30.62, surpassing the previous record of 2:34.86 set by Hiruki de Silva of Gateway College Colombo in 2019.
In the Boys Under-15 category, AIM Haathim of St Peter’s College broke a long-standing junior national record in the 200m Individual Medley. Haathim finished with a time of 2:18.01, bettering the previous record of 2:18.75 set by Olympian Kyle Abeysinghe in 2014.
In the Girls Under-15 50m Freestyle event, all three podium finishers surpassed the junior national record. Shasha Rajapakse of The British School in Colombo set a new record with a time of 28.58, breaking the previous record of 28.87 held by Nisha Nilaweera of Stafford International School since 2019. Amna Thazkiyah Mirsaad of the Maldives took silver with a time of 28.69, while Yunaya Perera of Lyceum International School Gampaha finished with 28.81, both bettering the old record.
Malawara Arachchi of St Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia set a new junior national record in the Boys Under-15 800m Freestyle, clocking 9:29.28 to break the previous record of 9:30.93 set by Lithum de Silva of Gateway College Colombo in 2023.
Day 3 records
1 Minagi Rupesinghe (Killer Whale Aquatics)
Women’s 1500m Freestyle Senior National: 18:14.73 (Previous: 18:55.44, Rushalee Dissanayake, Musaeus 2024)
2 Julie Hope (Cyclone Aquatics)
Girls U-15 100m Backstroke Junior National: 1:07.64 (Previous: 1:08.55, Akithmi Wasalathanthri, LISW 2019)
3 AIM Haathim (St Peter’s College)
Boys U-15 200m Individual Medley Junior National: 2:18.01 (Previous: 2:18.75, Kyle Abeysinghe, AIS 2014)
4 Shasha Rajapakse (The British School in Colombo)
Girls U-15 50m Freestyle Junior National: 28.58 (Previous: 28.87, Nisha Nilaweera, SIS 2019)
5 Malawara Arachchi (St Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia)
Boys U-15 800m Freestyle Junior Natoinal: 9:29.28 (Previous: 9:30.93, Lithum de Silva, 2023)
6 Zoe Tollit (Unattached)
Girls U-15 200m Individual Medley: 2:30.62 (Previous: 2:34.86, Hiruki de Silva, 2019)
