Teenagers Tollit, Minagi rule the pool
Unattached foreign swimmer Zoe Tollit and Killer Whale Aquatics’ (KWA) Minagi Rupesinghe stole the show on the penultimate day of the National and Junior National Short Course Swimming Championship at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo yesterday.
Competing in the Girls Under-15 category, Tollit has surpassed Sri Lanka’s national records in all five events she participated in. Her latest achievement came in the 200m breaststroke, where she clocked an impressive 2:44.99, slashing the previous junior national record of 2:54.86 held by Neoma Kahandawa of KWA. Tollit’s exceptional performances have placed her among the most talked-about swimmers of the meet, as she continues to push the boundaries of junior swimming excellence.
A.I.M. Haathim in action - Pic by Akila Jayawardene
KWA’s Minagi Rupesinghe continued her record-breaking form, setting a new national record in the Women’s 800m freestyle. She completed the race in 9:29.51, improving the long-standing mark of 9:33.04 set by Ishani Senanayake of KWA in 2016.
This was Rupesinghe’s second national record of the championship. The UK-based 19-year-old had earlier rewritten the Women’s 1500m freestyle record on the third day, highlighting her dominance in long-distance swimming.
The Under-15 relay team from Musaeus College also left their mark, setting a new junior national record in the 200m medley relay. The team, comprising Senuki de Silva, Naduli Gamage, Rushalee Dissanayake, and Sandithi Ekanayake, clocked 2:16.60, breaking the previous record of 2:17.28 set by Lyceum International School, Wattala in 2019. Notably, this same quartet had already set a new junior national record in the 400m freestyle relay on the opening day, displaying their consistency and teamwork.