Yupun may miss Diamond League

Promising Sri Lankan sprinter Yupun Abeykoon’s participation at this week’s Wanda Diamond League 2023 hangs in the balance after injuring his hamstring during the International Meeting Citta’ Di Savona earlier this week. Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) Secretary Saman Kumara said though he is out of danger, Abeykoon will decide his participation in the June 2 race after a second MRI scan on Monday.

“He is now able to walk without any pain, but has not yet commenced training,” stated Kumara

Competing in the Men’s 100m final, with a wind assistance of 2.7, Abeykoon was placed second with a timing of 10.01secs, behind Great Britain’s Reece Prescod. Prescod, an European Championship silver medalist and a bronze medalist at the World Championship, cocked 9.94secs, as Abeykoon ran alongside him for nearly 90 metres, before slowing down, showing signs of discomfort.

“Earlier, his participation on the June 2 race was doubtful, but now signs are positive that he might take part in this Friday’s event. But it’s too early to know the final decision,” he added.

The Commonwealth Games bronze medalist clocked 10.04secs in the heat behind Benjamin Azamati of Ghana, who clocked 9.99secs. Prescod had finished the Heat 2 in 10.06secs, but the Brit fired all cylinders in the final to record a sub 10sec timing. Arthur Cisse of Ivory Coast finished third with a timing of 10.03secs, while Azamati, who beat Abeykoon in the heats, finished fifth by clocking 10.11secs. Italians Lorenzo Patta and Filippo Tortu finished fourth and sixth respectively by clocking 10.08secs and 10.17secs.

Abeykoon, who enjoyed a remarkable season of 2022, became the fastest man in Asia, and clocked 9.96secs to renew his own Sri Lanka record in Men’s 100m. Abeykoon rose to fame after clocking a sub 10secs, becoming the first South Asian to do so and expects to fly high at this year’s World Athletics Championships and Asian Games.

Abeykoon becomes the first sprinter from Sri Lanka to compete in the Diamond League, after Olympic silver medalist Susanthika Jayasinghe and it will be the ideal place for the Italy-based sprinter to achieve another sub-10sec timing.

Only Susanthika Jayasinghe has won medals at World Athletics Championship for Sri Lanka.

Jayasinghe won 200m silver in Athens-her first global medal and 10 years later produced a stunning run to clinch bronze in her last World Championship. No Sri Lankan male sprinter has won an Asian Games medal in 100m and 200m dashes since 1990. Sriyantha Dissanayake clinched silver in 200m and bronze in the 100m sprint in 1990 Asian Games and Abeykoon has a golden opportunity to win.

“His (Yupun’s) target this year is the gold medal at Asian Games, and he is fully focused on that,” Kumara added.

Abeykoon was supposed to compete against a line-up of sprinters that are destined to qualify into any world stage final of a Men’s 100m event on June 2. The list includes 2020 Olympic gold medalist Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medalist Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, and 2011 world champion Yohan Blake. Others in the line-up are current European Indoor champion Samuele Ceccarelli of Italy, Commonwealth Games 2022 silver medalist Akani Simbine of South Africa. The 2016 World Indoor champion Trayvon Bromell of USA and 2022 world champion Fred Kerley of USA are the others.