Supun Randeniya of Ranabima Royal College, Gannoruwa came up with a stupendous performance by breaking the 19-year-old 110m hurdles record on the third day of the All Island Schools Games held at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo recently. With Randeniya's 110m hurdles record, three new meet records were set up on the third day with boys under-19 5000m record and girls under-21 100m relay record.
Randeniya, who won the bronze medal at the Asian Junior Athletics Meet in 110m hurdles, clocked 14.50 seconds breaking the previous record of 14.60 set up by Mahesh Perera of St Peter's College, Bambalapitiya in 1994.
Later on Mahesh Perera, who won gold medals for Sri Lanka at South Asian level, went onto set the national record when he ran in 14.00 seconds at Kuang, Malaysia in 1997.
DM Samarakoon of Anuruddha Kumara National School, Nawalapitiya established the under-19 boys 5000m record with a time of 15 minutes 23.53 seconds breaking the previous record of 15:27.10 set by Tharindu Madushan of Lunuwatte MMV, Welimada last year. KA Chandradas holds the current national record of 14:08.05 set in Colombo in 2004.
In the day's penultimate event, St Joseph's College, Kegalle girls 100m relay quartet set a new meet record with a remarkable 51.10 seconds. The Sabaragamuwa team erased the previous record of 51.21 held by the quartet of Sumana Balika Vidyalaya, Ratnapura in 2003.
Emerging women's thrower of Sri Lanka, Amanthi Silva of St Bridget's Convent, Colombo 7 won the gold medal of the under-19 shot putt event recording 11.93 metres. Silva had earlier set a new meet record in her discus throw event yesterday.
As usual Notherners are good at leaping with the pole. Representing Mahajana College, Jaffna, S Dilakshana won the gold medal with a leap of 3.80 metres in the boys under-17 pole vault event.
AM Dilshan of Ananda College, Colombo threw 37.65 metres to win the gold medal in the boys under-21 discus throw event.
Both boys and girls 1,500m events were held in the evening and St Peter's College, Bambalapitya's cricketer Dushan Hemantha won the gold medal clocking 4:01.32 while Wijaya Pathirana of Vijaya Vidyalaya Kalawewa timed 50:69.00 seconds to win gold in the girls under-21 1500m event.
Finals of 30 events will be held today (Saturday) starting with the boys under-17 putt shot at 8.30 am. 400m, 100m and 110m hurdles finals will be held in the evening session from 1pm on the fourth day of the five-day meet.
