National record holders in shot put and high jump respectively Nadeeka Muthunayaka and Priyangika Madumanthi bettered their own marks claiming the only records to fall on the final day, but the latter alleged that her comeback performance would have been higher than 1.77 metres if not for the demoralizing verbal attack she received from starter N. Vyrawanathan just before her final attempt at the 27th Women’s Championships at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday.

Madumanthi who cleared the bar at 1.77 metres in her first attempt to claim the meet record and the gold of the event was ready to attempt the 1.80 mark. She had to cross the running tracks to come to her start at which time sprinters were getting ready for a track event and at that point she received an unexpected verbal attack from an angry Vyrawanathan, who was officiating as the starter of the track event.

The veteran starter blamed the high jumper in a harsh manner pointing out that she had disturbed the track event by crossing the tracks. Madumanthi failed to clear the bar at that height after the fiasco and told ‘The Island’ that Vyrawanathan’s harsh verbal attack dealt a demoralizing blow to her attempt which needed a lot of concentration.

Incidentally, Madumanthi with her 1.77 meter feat in the high jump and Nadeeka Muthunayake with a throw of 13.64 meters in the shot put established the only records to fall on the final day of the Women’s Championship.