Killer whalers on a predatory course

Swimmers from the Killer Whale Aquatics (KWA) dominated the Sri Lanka National Swimming Championship on the third day at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium pool, Colombo yesterday.

Killer Whale’s 400-metre Freestyle relay quartet (from left) Matthew Abeysinghe, Kavindra Nugawela, Kyle Abeysinghe and Kaveen Weerasinghe, who established a new meet record of 3:36.72 seconds pose together. (Pictures by Susantha Wijegunasekera)

Onethra Weerasinghe of Mahamaya College Kandy competes in the 100m Backstroke final. She won the gold medal clocking 1:14.41 seconds.

Matthew Abeysinghe, who has won eight gold medals so far in all eight events reacts after his record breaking 200-metre IM final. Abeysinghe clocked 2:07.35 seconds erasing the previous record of 2:40.87 set by his elder brother Andrew in 2008.

Out of 10 new meet records established so far during the four-day showpiece, KWA swimmers set up five new meet records while the swimmers who trained under their brand name dominated the junior events erasing other records representing their respective schools.

Representing KWA, the Abeysinghe brothers Andrew, Matthew, Kyle and Dillon showed supremacy with their training partners Kaveen Weerasinghe, Kavindra Nugawela, Kenneth Koththigoda, Mevan Induruwa, Binupa Hettiarachchi and Joshua Jesuthasan at the pool heralding a new era for the forthcoming South Asian Games to be held in February in India.

In the 200-metre Freestyle final, six KWA swimmers – Kyle Abyesinghe (gold), Kavindra Nugawela (silver), Kaveen Weerasinghe (bronze), Binupa Hettiarachchi, Joshua Jesuthasan and Kenneth Koththigoda ruled the pool.

However, Kanitha Munasinghe from the Navy bettered his own 50-metre Breaststroke record beating South Asian Games gold medalist Andrew Abyesinghe in a hard-fought final. Munasinghe clocked 30.71 seconds erasing the previous record of 30.72 set up two years ago.

Andrew Abeysinghe, the South Asian Games gold medalists entered the pool after a lay-off but still won three gold medals and two silver medals for KWA.

50m Breaststroke: 1 Kanitha Munasinghe (SLN) 30.71R, 2 Andrew Abeysinghe (KWA) 30.82 sec, 3 CR Yogaratnam (St Anthony’s College, Katugastota) 32.57 sec.

200m IM: 1 Matthew Abeysinghe (KWA) 2:07.35 sec, 2 Kyle Abeysinghe (KWA) 2:14.10 sec, 3 KPSB de Silva (SLN) 2:18.79 sec.

400m Medley Relay: 1(KWA-A) Andrew Abeysinghe, Kyle Abeysinghe, Matthew Abeysinghe, Kaveen Weerasinghe 4:02.36R, 2 (SLN) Shehan Kaushalya, Kanitha Munasinghe, KP Manawadu, KPSB de Silva 4:06.71R, 3 (KWA-B) Dillon Abeysinghe, Mevan Induruwa, Kenneth Koththigoda, Kavindra Nugawela 4:16.59.

800m Freestyle Relay: 1 (KWA-A) Kyle Abeysinghe, Kaveen Weerasinghe, Kavindra Nugawela, Matthew Abeysinghe 8:01.74R, 2 (KWA-B) Andrew Abeysinghe, Kenneth Koththigoda, Binupa Hettiarachchi, Joshua Jesuthasan 8:23.59 sec, 3 (SLN) SPV Dias, KPSB de Silva, Kanitha Munasinghe, Shehan Kaushalya 8:46.73 sec.

200m Freestyle Relay: 1 (KWA) Dillon Abeysinghe, Matthew Abeysinghe, Kyle Abeysinghe, Kavindra Nugawela 1:37.23R, 2 (SLN) SPV Dias, KPSB de Silva, KP Manawadu, Kanitha Munasinghe 1:39.29R, 3 (Royal College) Rahul Samarakoon, Ranjula Agalawatta, Dilisha de Fonseka, Yahiya Jaffer 1:43.57 sec.

400m Freestyle Relay: 1 (KWA-A) Kyle Abeysinghe, Kaveen Weerasinghe, Kavindra Nugawela, Matthew Abeysinghe 3:36.72R, 2 (SLN) Kanitha Munasinghe, KPSB de Silva, KP Manawadu, SPV Dias 3:41.06 sec, 3 (KWA-B) Joshua Jesuthasan, Kenneth Koththigoda, Binupa Hettiarachchi, Dillon Abeysinghe 3:47.81 sec.

50m Breaststroke: 1 Ramudi Samarakoon (Visakha Vidyalaya) 36.56 sec, 2 Chenuri Fernando (Buddhist College) 39.09 sec, 3 Shanali Perera (SFAA) 39.46 sec.

200m IM: 1 Naveesha Karunanayake (UNAT) 2:39.36 sec, 2 Thimali Bandara (Lyceum IS, Wattala) 2:44.46 sec, 3 Ramudi Samarakoon (Visakha Vidyalaya) 2:46.13 sec.

100m Freestyle: 1 Naveesha Karunanayake (UNAT) 1:04.62R, 2 Thimali Bandara (Lyceum IS, Wattala) 1:06.40 sec, 3 Deekshi Gunasekera (Lyceum IS, Wattala) 1:06.48 sec.

50m Backstroke: 1 Devindya Jayawardene (Mahamaya College) 32.67R, 2 Onethra Weerasinghe (Mahamaya College), Shenali Weerawansa (Ave Maria Convent, Negombo) 34.17 sec.