ISAC ‘Queen’ Jansen targets Asian Junior meet
Shelinda Jansen of Gateway College receiving the Munchee Best Female Athlete trophy
The ‘queen’ of the International Schools Athletics Championships (ISAC) 2020, Shelinda Jansen sets her eyes on winning at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships to be held from May 14 to 17 in Bangkok, Thailand.
“I am having the South Asian Junior Athletic Championships trials. This is coming up in April. Soon as this finishes, I am going to start training the next day because I want to train for that before anything else. That is my ultimate goal for this year,” said Jansen, who won four gold medals at ISAC 2020.
Jansen, a 19-year-old national athlete, ended her glittering school career winning four sprint events for three consecutive years. From 2018 to 2020 she won 12 gold medals in 100m, 200m, 4x100m, 4x100m relay setting up four new meet records each year.
“Actually, this is my last ISAC, so I am proud of my achievements. I set four new meet records. It was fantastic because I have proven myself right at the right time,” Jansen told the Sunday Times on her memorable ISAC.
With Jansen’s contribution of four gold medals, Gateway College, Colombo became the runners-up winning 24 gold, 29 silver and 19 bronze medals, bagging a total of 72 medals.
“I won’t be running for another ISAC for my whole life. This was my last year. I proved everyone is wrong. I should thank the school for organising this and giving all the facilities that I needed. And must I specially thank Dr. Harsha Alles, who gave me all the support and being behind me.”
“I must also thank the staff and the organising committee, teachers and specially the Sports Department of Gateway. I also thank my mother, who was always behind me for my school career,” said Jansen with gratitude, after recording 11.94 seconds in 100m and 24.06 seconds in 200m respectively.
The International Schools Athletics Championships (ISAC) 2020 concluded with 52 new meet records being set and the overall winner Lyceum International School, Wattala clinching the title for the 12th consecutive times. This is a remarkable feat at the prestigious ISAC, Sri Lanka’s premier international school athletics meets, concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium last weekend.
Winning a dozen consecutive championships, Lyceum, Wattala showed their power in the school sporting arena with tremendous record, which cannot be erased by any school in the near future. They accumulated 91 medals including 39 gold, 30 silver and 22 bronze medals.