Kiran breaks two records at national swim meet

Friday, 3 October 2014 03:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

As the Age National Swimming Championships concluded at Sugathadasa Stadium over the weekend, the younger of the Jasinghe brothers, 17-year-old Kiran Jasinghe, established two Sri Lanka National Long Course records for the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke events. Jasinghe’s timing of 1:07.23 for the 100-meter breaststroke bettered the previous best of 1:08.63 set by former Sri Lankan Olympian Conrad Francis back in April 2004. In the 200-meter Breaststroke, Jasinghe’s timing of 2:29.84 bettered the previous mark by more than two seconds.

Kiran Jasinghe hails from a swimming family. His older brother Ryan established a national record for the Short Course 200-meter Breaststroke back in April this year. Jasinghe’s father and uncle were former national record-holders in the 1970s, and his uncles and aunts featured most prominently at a national level in swimming and diving. Kiran’s mother was a champion gymnast in the 1980s. Like his brother, Kiran travelled to Sri Lanka from Melbourne back in April to take part in local meets and found stiff competition from the swimmers in Colombo. He has nothing but admiration for local swimmers, coaches and administrators for the quality and standard of swimming found in Sri Lanka. Kiran’s ambition is to follow in his fathers footsteps and represent Sri Lanka at a major international championship, and is hopeful his performances at this meet will put him in contention to do just that.