Dubai-based Hope earn Junior National Swimming crown
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Julie Hope
Dubai-based Sri Lankan swimmer Julie Daniella Hope of Cyclone Aquatics was crowned the Girls Junior National champion at the Sri Lanka National and Junior National Swimming Championship, which concluded at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool Complex last Sunday.
The 14-year-old swimmer was the best performer of the five-day event, breaking the highest number of records. Hope won five gold medals in her respective events and set four new junior national records, making her the most successful swimmer of the competition.
She accumulated 33 points in total—25 points from her gold medals and 8 points for the records she shattered. This put her well ahead of second-place finisher unattached foreign swimmer Zoe Tollit, who scored 23 points.
Hope’s record-breaking performances included a dominant display in the 200m Backstroke, where she clocked 2:29.52, smashing the previous record of 2:30.68 set by Minagi Rupesinghe of St. Bridget’s Convent in 2019. In fact, Hope had already broken the record earlier in the preliminaries with a time of 2:30.47.
In the 50m Backstroke, Hope set a new junior national record with a time of 31.41, surpassing the former record of 31.59 held by Akithmi Wasalathanthri of Lyceum International School, Wattala in 2019. Again, she had broken the record earlier in the preliminaries, clocking 31.48.
Hope also triumphed in the 200m Freestyle, shattering the previous record by four seconds with a time of 2:14.69. The previous record of 2:18.20 had been held by Hiruki de Silva of Gateway College, Colombo since 2019. Hope had earlier set a new record in the preliminary rounds with a time of 2:17.66. In the 100m Backstroke, she clocked 1:07.64, breaking the junior national record of 1:08.55 previously held by Akithmi Wasalathanthri of Lyceum Wattala five years ago.
Coached by Dubai-based Cyclone Aquatics’ Head Coach Lazar Zlatic, Hope faced challenging environmental conditions during the event here in Sri Lanka. Known for competing in indoor pools in Dubai, she showed immense resilience in Sri Lanka’s sweltering heat, making her a champion in the Sri Lankan waters with an incredible feat of talent and endurance.