Sri Lanka’s rising star in artistic swimming, 14-year-old Venuki Wijesena, showcased exceptional talent by clinching her second consecutive bronze medal at the recently concluded 17th Singapore Open Artistic Swimming Championships. The competition, held at the OCBC Aquatic Centre from December 14 to 17, witnessed Wijesena’s remarkable achievements.
Wijesena’s journey to the podium began on the opening day, where she secured her first bronze in the 13-15 years Youth Figure Competition, impressively scoring 62.0060 points and claiming the third spot.
The young athlete continued to shine on the second day, adding further glory to Sri Lanka by winning her second back-to-back bronze medal in the Solo Routine competition. Facing tough competition from over 30 participants, Wijesena’s stellar performance highlighted her dedication and skill.
The Sri Lanka team, comprising 17 participants across various age groups, marked their return to international artistic swimming after a hiatus since 2019. Team Manager Akhry Ameer expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance, emphasizing that Wijesena’s success in the solo routine was complemented by competitive performances from the rest of the team.
Ameer underscored the importance of this international exposure, stating, “The main goal of this participation is to gain international competition experience and exposure given the long break due to the various setbacks in the last few years.”
Artistic swimming, like many sports, underwent rule changes during the pandemic. Although the Sri Lanka Artistic Swimming Union adopted new rules for this year, the swimmers participated in a hybrid rule setting in Singapore.
The Sri Lanka team, representing Aurora Synchro Club, Ladies’ College, Musaeus College, and Visakha Vidyalaya, delivered outstanding performances in the competition. Amongst more than 220 artistic swimmers from various Asian countries and clubs, the team’s commendable display was guided by the expertise of Dehara Katipearachchi, a former athlete in the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games who served as the Head Coach, leading the team to success.
