COLOMBO: (ePRESS) – Ruel Wickramaratne, a 14-year-old diver from Royal College, has made history by becoming the youngest ever to win the Men’s Platform event at the National Diving Championship. Competing at the 48th edition of the championship, held at the Sugathadasa Stadium Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo, Ruel broke a 23-year-old record.
At the championship, Ruel scored an impressive 189.4 points, defeating senior national champion Royal College’s diving captain Venuka Kankanamge, who scored 172.9 points in the Platform event. This victory not only displays Ruel’s gold medal but also secures his place in the record books. He became the youngest diver to win the Platform event at nationals, surpassing the previous record set by Chanaka Wickramasinghe, the diving coach of Royal College, who held the record at the age of 15 during the 2001 nationals.
Ruel is an exceptional young talent,” said Chanaka Wickramasinghe, Ruel’s coach and the youngest to achieve this feat at the age of 15 in 2001. “At just 14, he has shown remarkable skill and maturity beyond his years. His dedication to training and natural ability have allowed him to accomplish things that most divers can only dream of at his age. I have no doubt that he has a bright future ahead in diving.
In addition to his gold medal in the Men’s Platform event, Ruel also shined in the 1m Springboard event, where he won a silver medal with a score of 161.25 points, just ahead of Kankanamge, who finished with 161.1 points. Ruel earned another silver medal in the 3m Springboard event, scoring 172.9 points, while Kankanamge took home the gold.
Last month, Ruel represented Sri Lanka at the 14th Singapore National Diving Championship. He had an outstanding performance, winning four medals: two gold, one silver, and one bronze. His success helped the Sri Lankan team achieve a total of 28 medals, outperforming divers from Singapore, Indonesia, and Macau.
Ruel trains under coach Chanaka Wickramasinghe and assistant coach Prasad Dissanayake at Royal College. They have played important roles in his development as a diver. Besides his achievements in diving, Ruel is also the captain of the Under-15 Basketball team at Royal College, displaying that he is a versatile athlete.
Wickramasinghe whose record he broke
