‘Tharushi and Dilhani can qualify for Olympics’ – SLA Secretary
Tharushi Karunaratne
Refuting reports circulating in social media on Sri Lanka’s women’s 800m runner Tharushi Karunaratne’s qualification to the Paris Olympics 2024, the Secretary of Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) said, that though she has a strong chance, is yet to ‘officially’ qualify.
Saman Kumara Gunawardena, the Secretary of SLA, who has been involved with athletics for many decades, told reporters in Colombo that the country has to wait until the dawn of July 1 to confirm the final list of Olympic participants from Sri Lanka athletics.
“There are events happening around the world up until June 30, which is the deadline for Olympic qualification. We will have to wait until midnight of June 30 in Monaco time to obtain the confirmed final list,” Gunawardena explained.
According to confirmed stats revealed by Gunawardena, Tharushi Karunaratne is currently ranked 48th globally, which is the cutoff quantity to the Women’s 800m event, while Dilhani Lekamge, the women’s javelin thrower, is ranked 32, the full number of athletes to be taken in to Olympics. However, with qualifying events taking place throughout the world through the next eight days, Gunawardena said that positions may change drastically.
“For our athletes, we have the National Championships from June 27 to 29, followed by a special Olympic Qualification Meet on June 30, a Grade ‘E’ qualifying event. These events will certainly help boost both Tharushi’s (Karunaratne) and Dilhani’s (Lekamge) chances of qualifying for the Olympics.”
At her last event in Spain, Karunaratne pushed a position up from 48 to 47 after placing second in the Women’s 600m event. With her achievement in South Korea at the Asian Throwing Championship, Lekamge bettered her global ranking from 32 to 30. With the current positioning, though both athletes look as if they have already made it to the Paris event, Gunawardena confirmed that ‘they are in a safer zone’ to qualify for the Olympics.
If Karunaratne is to achieve direct Olympic qualification, she must clock 1:59.30secs in the Women’s 800m event at next week’s Nationals or the Qualifier Meet next Sunday. Only 25 in the world so far have qualified directly from the Olympic qualifying period which began from July 1, 2023. If not, she has other options as Gunawardena states, to come into the remaining 20 slots.
“There are 48 slots at the Olympics in that event, and Tharushi is currently ranked 47th. But that does not guarantee her slot alone, because there are three slots reserved as wild cards. Out of the remaining 45, she can safely reserve her place by clocking at least 2:03.50secs or less at the upcoming local events. That would probably move her to 40th position”.
Dilhani Lekamge
Similarly Lekamge, now positioned at 30th globally, has to clear 64metres or beyond to directly qualify for the Olympics, where only eight throwers have made it to the confirmed list. At her last event, the Asian Throwing Championship held in Mokpo, South Korea, Lekamge cleared a distance of 57.95m to win the bronze medal. Her best throw of 61.57m, secured Lekamge a silver medal at the Asian Games 2023.
“If Dilhani could clear a good distance close to 64m at the Nationals, she can go up to 28 or 26 in rankings. That will guarantee her place at the Olympics,” Gunawardena clarified.
At present Men’s 400m sprinters Aruna Darshana and Kalinga Kumarage too are under similar circumstances with both runners ranked at 53 and 54 respectively globally. With 48 slots available for grabs, both sprinters stand a chance if they reach the qualifying standard of 45.00secs to directly run in the Men’s 400m event at the Paris Olympics. Sri Lanka’s biggest hope, Yupun Abeykoon, meanwhile, has a bigger obstacle to clear after a hamstring injury forced him out of two qualifying events held earlier this month in the European Circuit.
“All three, including Yupun will compete at the Nationals and the Olympic Qualifying Meet next week, Yupun has confirmed that he will be arriving here on Monday,” affirmed Gunawardena.
So far Viren Nettasinghe has earned direct qualification for the Paris Olympics in Badminton Men’s Singles.