Sonali to make dream Olympic debut today

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from England

OYMPICS: LONDON, Aug. 4. - Asian Championship medallist Sonali Chiristine Merril will carry Sri Lanka’s only hope in track events when she competes in women’s 400m hurdles first roun heats at the 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium here tomorrow.

She will be seen in action in women’s 400m hurdles first round to be worked off at 7 p.m. locals time (at 11.30 p.m. Sri Lanka time).

“It is a great moment in my life and I will make every effort to make it even more memorable one. It feels great to represent my country at Olympics and I will do my best to make my presence felt,” the US-based Lankan hurdkler said.

The former UC San Diego track standout is one-time USA’s NCAA National Champion and eight-time All-American for the Tritons from 2007-10.

A graduate of the University of California, Sonali is residing in San Diego which has been the base for her athletic career. 

In a worldwide talent search, Sonali was identified by former Sri Lanka athletic chief Major General Palitha Fernando. Since then, Merril has represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Championships in Japan and the IAAF World Championships in South Korea last year. 

“I am well set and focused for my event. There will be stiff competition but I will try my best to get into next round, if not to better my personal best,” said Merril who celebrates her 25th birthday in exactly two weeks time on August 20. 

She made a dream Sri Lanka debut, clocking 57.30 seconds, behind Japan’s Satomi Kubkura (56.52) and China’s Qi Yong (56.69) to secure bronze medal at 2011 Asian Championships in Kobe. In the same year, she got the rare opportunity of competing at the IAAF World Championships in Degu, South Korea.

She clocked 58.20 seconds in women’s 400m hurdles at Asian Grand Prix in Bangkok in May, 2012.

Besides Merril, the only other Sri Lankan left to be seen in action at the XXXth London Olympiad is marathon runner Anuradha Indrajith Cooray, who is down to compete in men’s marathon of London 2012 Games in a weeks time - on July 12, the final day of the 204-nation Games which are now in full swing here in the British capital.

There are large crowds to watch Olympic action, mainly athletics. Over 10 days, 2,000 athletes will compete in 47 track and field events, making athletics the largest single sport at the Games which accommodates 10,500 people at the Athletes Village.

Meanwhile, the USA’s men’s team thought they had seen last-16 defeats for Raushee Warren and Errol Spence end their hopes of a boxing medal lst night but Spence was later reinstated after an appeal.

Flyweight third seed Warren, competing in his third Olympic Games, edged Frenchman Nordine Oubaali 19-18 on points after a keenly contested tussle.

“I am still young. I gave my whole life to the Olympics and that was my dream. I have to work out what I am doing next,” the 25-year-old said after his bout. Spence, a Dallas-based 22-year-old, went out of the competition following a 13-11 defeat against third-seeded Indian Krishan Vikas in the Welter Weight division. Later, the world governing body for boxing - AIBA, upheld an appeal and reinstated the USA boxer so Vikas has left the competition.

European champions Andrew Selby and Fred Evans extended Great Britain’s fine start with last-16 victories in their respective fly weight and welter weight categories.

Evans produced a fine last round to beat Egidijus Kavaliauskas 13-11 and Selby secured a 19-15 verdict over tough Kazakh Ilyas Suleimenov. Belfast Fly Weight Michael Conlan clinched a straightforward 19-8 win over Ghana’s Duke Micah.