G.A.M. Gunaratne of Ratnayake Central College, Walala (center) who won the Gold medal, is seen competing with the C.D. Aloka of St. Benedict’s College and his team mate G.J. Weerasinghe in the Under-20 Boys’ 800-metre event at the Senior John Tarber All Island Schools Milo Athletic Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Thursday. (Pix by Dimuthu Premaratne)

W.K.L.A Nimali, won the under-20 5000-meter with a new meet record

Kumara Karunaratne, who won the 5000-meter race walking.

Sri Lanka national record holder in women’s steeple chase, W.K.L.A Nimali lowered the Under-20 Girls’ 5000 Metre record when she clocked 17 minutes and 42.20 seconds on the second day of the Senior John Tarber All Island Schools Milo Athletic Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Thursday.

Finishing a minute before the second placed athlete G.I. Lakmali, Nimali claimed the only record to fall on the second day and the only track event record to be established so far in the meet.

In the day’s glamour events, things went according to the script as Shehan Ambepitiya (Under-20 Boys’ 200- metre) , Keith de Mel (Under-18 Boys’ 200-metre and Shashiprabha Jayasinghe (Under-20 Girls’ 200-metre) won the Gold medals in their respective events.

While the short distance events were dominated by the fancied athletes, G.A.M. Gunaratne of Ratnayake Central College, Walala turned tables on C.D. Aloka of St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena and Junior Asian Championship bronze medalist G.J. Weerasinghe of Ratnayake Central College after a keen tussle in the Under-20 Boy’s 800-metre.

Although it was an 800-metre event, it had all the ingredients of a closely contested short distance dash towards the last 100 metres. Gunaratne, who was just behind the reputed duo of Aloka and Weerasinghe, accelerated in the last 100 metres effecting a close tussle for the Gold in the last few seconds.

He clocked 1 minute 57.87 seconds to win the gold while the Aloka’s Silver (1.57.93) and Weerasinghe’s bronze (1.57.94) had a difference of just .01 seconds.

Meanwhile, Galnewa MMV, athlete M.M.Kumara Karunaratne walked away with the second consecutive Race Walking Gold medal in the John Tarbet meet. Karunaratne, who clocked 27.8 minutes to win the Gold last year produced a timing of 25.38 minutes to win the Gold. K.M. Madusanka and Dilshan Sudharshana of Detagamuwa KV, Kataragama won silver and bronze respectively. Incidentally, only six athletes took part in the race walking event and all athletes were from the above two schools.