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| Sunday, 25 July 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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... Menaka's dream - 'to be among the top 20' by Leslie Fernando For Menaka de Silva, the only woman who will represent Sri Lanka at this August's Athens Olympic Games, `my big moment will be getting into the waters alongside the world's best'. "My dream is to be among the top 20 in the world", she told the `Sunday Observer' last Friday. Menaka de Silva as the only woman swimmer representing Sri Lanka at the Athens Olympics, will be drawn up in the 50 metres freestyle event. The former St. Bridget's Convent swimmer has vast experience participating at the 10th FINA World Swimming Championships in Barcelona, Spain last year. She has also competed at several South Asian Federation Games and won several medals. Represented Sri Lanka at the Asia Pacific Age Group Championships in China, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Malaysia, India. The freestyle specialist has also represented Sri Lanka Schools' at several foreign meets. She has established the most number of national records in her swimming career at Age Group meets, Pentathlon Championships Senior and Junior Nationals, Short Course Nationals and Sri Lanka Schools' meet. She is the 50 and 100 metres freestyle national record holder. Menaka also had the great opportunity of being trained by ace Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorp holder of five world records at the Olympic Games. Menaka, who is currently training under former champion Lankan swimmer Julian Bolling, told the `Sunday Observer' that it will be a big moment for her to swim at the Olympics along with the best swimmers around the globe and her main aim is to be amongst the top 20 in the world. Menaka is presently with the Sri Lanka Navy. She is also following a foundation course leading to computer science diploma at ACBT Colombo and also following. A course in Psychology. Menaka successfully completed a Diploma Course in Computer Science at NIIT. |
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