Jeyden secures third win at Selection Trials
Jayden de Silva of Stafford International School claimed his third victory on the second day of Selection Trials for the Sri Lanka National Short Course Championship and World Aquatic Short Course Championship, organised by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU), at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool Complex yesterday.
De Silva, a 14-year-old sensation who already secured two wins on the opening day, clinched first place in the Junior 50m Butterfly final, finishing in 27.75 seconds. In a stunning performance, 13-year-old junior champion Rushalee Dissanayake of Musaeus College took on senior competition and emerged victorious in the women’s senior 400m individual medley, clocking an impressive 5:43.75.
Hiruki de Silva, the defending national short course champion from Gateway College, Colombo, triumphed in the Women’s Senior 200m Freestyle, finishing in 2:06.49. She bettered Visakha Vidyalaya’s standout Dinali Karunadasa by an impressive seven seconds, as Karunadasa finished in 2:13.83.
Meanwhile, Jessie Seneviratne from Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya claimed the Senior Women’s 50m Butterfly final with a timing of 30.06 seconds. Sithuki Yonara, captain of Asian International School and a national squad member, won the Senior Women’s 50m Backstroke with a 32.31 second finish, defeating Ladies’ College’s Nischka Nanayakkara, who finished at 33.16.
Rising star Muaaz Bary, a 15-year-old from Asian International School, stunned in the Men’s Senior 400m Individual Medley, clocking 5:11.39 and securing victory by four seconds over Senupa Ratnayake from Killer Whale Aquatics (KWA).
Former USA-based swimmer Sebastian Fernando, now competing for Stafford International School, marked his second consecutive win in the Men’s Senior 200m Freestyle, clocking 1:59.06 and beating Gateway College’s Disandu Niriella, who clocked 2:00.27.
Zahira College’s M.F. Muhammad topped the Junior 100m Breaststroke, finishing in 1:05.96, defeating Colombo Swimming Club’s Chris Pavithra, who clocked 1:08.46. KWA’s Adeetha Siriwardena captured the Men’s Senior 50m Backstroke title, finishing in 27.90 seconds. The three-day trials will conclude today.