Navy’s Gayanthika Abeyratne sets 2 new national records

Nilani Rathnayake

Sri Lanka Navy Leading Women Sailor Gayanthika Abeyratne set two new national records in the women's 1,500 metre and 5,000 metre events at the 99th National Athletics Championships held at the Sugathadasa Indoor

Stadium. The Asian Gold Medallist set these two new records in respective events held on 30 and 31 October.

Accordingly, Abeyratne ran the women's 1,500 metres in four minutes and 9.12 seconds (4:9.12), beating Nimali Liyanarachchi's previous record of four minutes and 15.86 seconds (4:15.86) set in 2019. Further, last morning (31) she won the women's 5,000 metres in 15 minutes and 55.84 seconds (15:55.84), breaking the previous national record of 16 minutes and 17.82 seconds (16:17.82) set by Nilani Rathnayake in 2019.

Abeyratne has brought much credit to the Navy as well as the motherland throughout her athletic career; she won a gold medal in the women's 800 metres at the 2017 Taipei City Asian Grand Prix in Taipei, a silver medal in the same event at the 2017 Asian Championships in India, a gold medal in the women's 1,500 metres at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and a bronze medal in the women's 800 metres at the same championship.

She joined Sri Lanka Navy in 2010 and has represented Sri Lanka Navy in athletics over the years. For her exceptional talents in the sporting arena, she was awarded Best Sportswoman from Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne at the Navy Colours Night in 2021. She is coached by National Institute of Sports Science Director G.L. Sajith Jayalal.