Matthew makes Olympic history

by Sajeewa Jayakody

Sensational Sri Lankan swimmer Matthew Abeysinghe booked his place to compete in the 100m freestyle event in the Rio Olympics after he won the men’s 100m freestyle event at the Hong Kong Age Group Championships on Saturday.

Abeysinghe who clocked 50.53 seconds in his pet event, 100m freestyle, became the first Lankan swimmer to achieve an Olympic standard as early Lankan swimming entries to Olympics had been on Wild Cards.

The most versatile South Asian Games athlete, who won six Gold medals including five Games records in the recent South Asian Games in India, had already been included in the 10-member Lankan Olympic camp a fortnight ago. “The timing was 50.53 in the 100m Freestyle and the Olympic qualifying time was 50.70. I’m extremely happy and proud to be the first Sri Lankan swimmer to ever qualify for the Olympics. It’s a huge honour to do that for Sri Lanka and its been my personal goal and dream since I started swimming when I was 4. Words can’t describe what it means to me to finally be headed to the Olympics,” Matthew Abeysinghe told the Sunday Observer.

Abeysinghe, who trained at Killer Whale Aquatics (KWA), the swimming club, which revalutionised the Lankan swimming during the past six years since its inception in 2010.

He was the first Lankan swimmer to achieve FINA World Championship qualification in the 100 m freestyle for last year’s Kazan World Championships.

After he qualified for Kazan World Championships and his performance there, FINA offered him the same scholarship to train at KWA in Sri Lanka which he accepted.

“Everyone said Matthew can’t get the cut and if he did, that’s because he trained in the US. Well, he has done it, and while training in SL. We proved that with a proper plan and hard work, these lofty goals can be achieved.

This is a home grown success and KWA will continue down this road where Matthew is only the 1st with more coming up behind him,” coach Manoj Abeysinghe said.