Trailblazers Rahim sisters set the pool ablaze
The 41st Nestle Milo Schools Swimming Championships organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Aquatic Sports Association and worked off for the third consecutive day at the Sugathadasa Indoor Swimming pool saw a further eight records being shattered, bringing the total records broken to 24, in what is being described as a challenging competition so far yesterday.
Heats of junior events were held during the morning - Pic by Amila Gamage
The fourth and final day will see a series of relays being worked off in the morning and afternoon sessions including free style and medley relays which will eventually decide on the schools winners of the championships.
Asian International School was blessed to witness the Rahim sisters Kimiko and Machiko shattering a total of six records in this championship thus far. Machiko shaved off nearly twelve seconds off the existing Under-19 Girls 200 metres Free Style record of 2:26:98 seconds when she eased unchallenged to win in 2:14:48 seconds to seal another Rahim victory yesterday.
Star Josephian swimmer Matthew Abeysinghe increased his blistering run of records too, when he also broke another record today to add to the two previous records he crushed the days before. In the Under-19 Boys 200 Metres Free Style his timing of 1:55:44 broke the two minute barrier when the previous record stood at 2:02:81 seconds.
Musaeus College produced two individual records too when Under-17 swimmers Himani Vithanage and Ridmi Rankothge smashed 200 metre records for the Free Style and Butterfly events. Vithanage eased to victory in the Free Style event in 2:22:13 seconds to erase the record which was set at 2:23:20 seconds whilst Rankothge broke the 3 minute barrier in the Butterfly competition to win in 2:53:94 seconds to break the record set at 3:03:15.
The four other records that were broken yesterday are as follows:
- Chamodhi Fonseka (Lyceum International School Wattala)
Girls Under-17 400 metres Free Style 5:05:30 (previous record 5:06:28)
- Hansi Dananjana (Harishchandra College Negombo)
Girls Under-15 200 metres Butterfly 2:40:37 (previous record 2:42:37)
- Ishara Abeyrathne (Royal College Colombo)
Boys Under-15 200 metres Butterfly 2:27:17 (previous record 2:28:29)
- K. Imesh Chathuranga
(D.S.Senanayake College Colombo)
Boys Under-17 50 metres Butterfly 28:63 (previous record 29:39)