Darsha chasing the record books

JAKARTA (JP): Sri Lankan sprinter Damayanti Darsha has every right to be proud as the holder of three records.

The Asian Junior Championships 100 meter time of 11.42 seconds she clocked in 1994 remains intact. She also triumphed in the Asian Games 200m in a record-breaking time of 22.48 seconds in 1998, in addition to the 400m gold medal she won at the same event.

On Wednesday she defended her 400m gold medal in the Asian Track and Field Championships with a record time of 51.05 seconds.

"This is my best time. Actually I want to run below 51 seconds but I still have my biggest race to run in the Olympic Games. I'm happy with the result," said the 25-year-old, who shaved one hundredth of a second off her personal best in the 400m.

Darsha said competing on the fast surface of Senayan Madya Stadium, her favorite track, helped her set the new record.

The stadium also saw the Sri Lankan ace runner clock a record breaking time in the 100m as a junior six years ago.

In South Asian, Darsha confirmed her domination last year, taking three gold medals in the South Asian Federation Games in Katmandu, Nepal. She ran an 11.17 to improve her best time in the 100m, clocked a 22.68 in the 200m and a 51.40 in the 400m.

Darsha, who works at the Pan Asian Bank in Colombo, began to concentrate on her favorite discipline, the 400m, after competing in the 1995 Asian Track and Field Championships here.

"She has a good chance in both the 200 and 400, although her preference is the 400. If she can run below 51.00, let's say 50.40 or 50.50, she can reach the finals of the Olympics," said coach Sunil Gunawardena, a former Sri Lankan sprinter who competed in the 1972 Olympics and 1974 Asian Games.

Darsha rated Australian Cathy Freeman as the favorite in the 400m in Sydney, along with sprinters from Jamaica, Germany and Nigeria.

Discussing her chances in the Olympics, Darsha said: "I will only try my best because there are many good rivals."

Born on Feb. 13, 1975, Darsha, the eldest child in her family, started to run competitively at the age of 13. It is her discipline and hard work that has allowed her to win so many championship titles.

She competed in both the 100m and 200m in her Olympic debut in 1992 in Barcelona, when she was 16. Although she did not capture any medals, the world recognized her as a future star.

Despite her daily routine at the bank, she has no difficulty finding the time to train.

"I always have morning and evening training sessions back at Sri Lanka. I don't have any problems with the office as it always gives me a leave for meets," she said. (yan)