Aruna Darshana, third athlete to earn direct Olympic qualification
View(s):400m runner Aruna Dharshana joined an elite group of four direct qualifiers for the Paris Olympics.
Sri Lanka contingent includes six athletes in total with two swimmers who earned their entry through wild-cards.
Initially ranked 51st, Darshana narrowly missed the cutoff where only the top 48 athletes are selected. However, World Athletics updated their list following withdrawals and injuries, confirming Darshana’s qualification for the Olympics as he is now comfortably find himself among those 48 400m runners travelling to Paris. Darshana has represented
Sri Lanka in Junior South Asian Championships (2018), Junior Asian Championships (2018), World Junior Championships (2018), Asian Games (2018, 2023), South Asian Games (2019), Asian Championship (2023) and World Championship (2023).
Aruna Darshana made the cut ahead of his compatriat Kalinga Kumarage to the Olympics
Dilhani Lekamge (Javelin Throw):
At 36, Lekamge boasts a silver medal from the Asian Games and a bronze medal from the Asian Championship. Her 26th place in the Javelin Throw world rankings secured her Olympic spot, as only 32 athletes were selected.
Tharushi Karunarathne (800m):
At just 19, Karunarathne is an Asian Games and Asian Championship gold medalist in the 800m event. Her impressive performance earned her a World Ranking qualification, finishing 45th where only 48 athletes are selected.
Viren Nettasinghe (Badminton):
Currently ranked 75th in men’s singles, Nettasinghe secured his Olympic qualification through World Ranking. His dedication and skill have paid off, especially given the reduced number of wild cards this year.
Kyle Abeysinghe (Swimming):
Kyle Abeysinghe comes from a family of swimmers. Trained by their father, Manoj Abeysinghe, all four brothers—Andrew, Matthew, Dillon, and Kyle—excel in the pool. Matthew was the first Sri Lankan swimmer to qualify through world rankings, as he competed at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. Kyle, the youngest, took a break in 2018 due to medical reasons but made a triumphant comeback in 2023, securing a wild-card spot in the Olympics.
Ganga Seneviratne (Swimming):
Seneviratne secured her spot via the universality placing, commonly known as a wild card. This opportunity is offered to top-ranked athletes from countries without qualified representatives in a particular sport. Sri Lanka has won just two medals at Olympics. Following Duncan White’s silver in 1948 games, Susanthika Jayasinghe win silver at the Sydney Olympics 2000.