Olympic Star with Spirit, Spunk and Sprint

OLYMPICS: Dateline September 28, 2000. Sydney Olympics. Time 2.55 pm (Sri Lankan time). The event 200 metres women's final. Over to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's commentator:

We have Beverly Mc Donald of Jamaica, Cathy Freeman of Australia, Pauline Davis-Thompson and Debbie Ferguson both from The Bahamas, Susan Jayasing from Sri Lanka, Australia's Melinda Gainsford- Taylor and Ukraine's Zhanna Pintusevich .

'Marion undoubtedly is the most superior athlete in this event. The question is by how far she will go into 22 seconds. Australian Cathy Freeman- Gold medal in the 400- has made the 200 metres final. It's her town and it's her night. She won the world title three years ago. I do not think she can do it tonight. She can set up Melinda for a good run. Australian Cathy Freeman has to get out fast. But how quick will Jones be? She is double blinking at the camera; very relaxed; she has a job to do. Has a bit of pressure.'

'Susan Jayasing has been in good form. Jayasing ran a great 150 metres and then a very ordinary last 50 in the semis. So Sri Lanka is in the Finals.

Here's Australian Melinda Gainsford-Taylor. Let's hope she has a race of her life. It's her town and it's her night. She says it's the biggest day in her athletic life. She has made the final. The question is how quick Jones will be. She is going for her second gold medal today and she is going for five medals the long jump final tomorrow and the relays on the weekends.'

'Tense moment. Very tense moment! The butterflies in your stomach you've got to control; the crowd noise you've got to control; and you have to get off fast and move hard around the turn; then turn into the home stretch and then run as rapidly as you can into the line. Marion Jones in (lane) 4, Cathy Freeman in 2 and Melinda Gainsford-Taylor in 7.'

*Women's 200 final

'The Final Women's 200 metres Final. Two Aussies there.

Almost set. Away they go!

Jones gets a terrific start. So did Ferguson. Jones clearly in front of Jayasing, Pintusevich, and Melinda, coming through is Davis. Jones clearly in front of Jayasing and also Davis. Jones - 21.84. What do you say about that! That is brilliant running!!

Davis has come second and Jayasing third-only just one hundredth of a second between them. Jayasing has run a good turn as well.

Jones was just cruising... she makes running fast look easy. Probably the largest margin in history or very close. It's a stunning margin!'

The commentary ends and the roar of the crowd subsides as winners drape themselves with their flags as did 'Susan Jayasing' or Susanthika Jayasinghe as we know her.

*Susanthika's feat spectacular

If Jones' margin was stunning, the Susanthika feat was spectacular! For all Sri Lankans it was unbelievable. For here was a village lass--a 'gameh kelle' in the vernacular-- hailing from the backwoods of the until then unheard hamlet in Uduwaka, Warakapola; from the village school Athanawela Maha Vidyalaya where she borrowed spikes and books, had no pencils or even a proper uniform. Her parents made ends meet, according to an interview by Mahinda Wijesinghe carried in the LMD, by either spouse taking turns at rubber tapping or breaking rocks in a quarry. And because they could not afford to buy powdered milk, Susanthika was breast fed for nearly 5 years-and 'that is where my strength comes from' -- Susanthika affectionately recalls the love of her mother whom she calls 'mage Budhu Amme-my blessed mother'.

And here she was at the Sydney Olympics expressing herself to the world through the lens of Television Cameras and over Air waves. She caused the end of the Sri Lankan Olympic drought which had lasted for more than half a century --after Duncan White won the only Olympic medal for Sri Lanka-a Silver.

But that's not all. She became, at that time, the first South Asian woman to alight the victory podium in the 104 year modern Olympic history.

Many talented women in our country, to borrow for the Gray's Elegy, are born to blush unseen, and waste their sweetness in the desert air. But not this woman of very modest means. She famously declared: I will win a medal with even 'paan' and 'parippu' (with bread and lentils). She had faced more than her share or trails and adversity, if not humiliation.

Her 22.28 sec timing was one hundredth of a second behind Pauline Davis. As the commentary shows at one stage she was ahead of Davis as well. One cannot therefore resist invoking Shakespeare in Julius Caesar when Ligarius declares:

'now bid me run and I will strive with things impossible, Yea, get the better of them.'

*Determination great

Her determination was uncompromising. And as she ran her race and we -the country-watched with bated breath, truly breathless, and awe struck, we realized that she was not only sprinting, but metaphorically clearing the hurdles ironically placed in her path by persons who had other designs-even to the extent of falsely accusing her of taking performance enhancing drugs which after credible international scrutiny was found to be absolutely baseless.

And so, as she gave voice to the cause of women one can justly be deeply romanticized by the story of Susanthika that will surely inspire generations of athletes. She was the tireless, fearless, even feisty, and fierce competitor who beat the huge odds-even those one can sense were stacked by commentators and the media at the Olympics.

Yes she won only a Bronze. But that does not detract from the immense achievement for the country. And that she eventually was decorated with Silver following Marion Jones' disqualification for taking performance enhancing drugs places her, albeit by default, on the record books of Olympic Silver Medalists.

*Few cared for Susanthika

In her quest she had only a few who cared so much for her, and one of them being Dhammika Wanigasinghe-Dhammika Aiya- as she refers to him respectfully. And there were others who put their influence and funds at her disposal to get her across-in truth smuggled her- to Los Angeles for training and to overcome those who were trying to keep her back. Among them were Daham Wimalsena.

This columnist is aware that there were three Sri Lankan Tamil gentlemen residents in the US who rallied to help - anonymously, to avoid reprisals from the LTTE at that time.

Then there was the Duncan White Foundation which chipped in as did sports promoter Vijitha Fernando who on an individual basis contributed a tidy sum from his own pocket to finance alternative accommodation at a time when she had to travel 150 miles to the campus for training with Coach Tony Campbell. Then there was Jennifer Moragoda who was a tower of strength and even set up a Trust Fund to help out and spend time to mentor Susanathika.

*President Rajapaksa felicitates

Recognizing her contribution to the country President Chandrika Kumaratunga and later President Mahinda Rajapaksa celebrated Susanthika's achievements. President Rajapaksa felicitated her with a Gold Medal and with Rs. 5 Million grant.

The renowned business and leisure magazine LMD honoured her rightfully as the Sri Lankan of the Year in 2000.

Those honoured earlier included people of the calibre of Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Ken Balendra and later Jayantha Dhanapala.

It's an open question as to when this under-recognized super heroine will be bestowed with National Honours as was Duncan White. This should be a no-brainer!

Mohamed Muhsin; E mail Mohamed @mvmuhsin.com Or visit - http :// Pavilionparade.com/