Minagi sets new 1500m Freestyle SL Record at World Junior Aquatic C’ships

Sri Lanka’s prodigious freestyle swimmer, Minagi Rupesinghe, made a resounding splash at the 9th World Aquatic Junior Swimming Championships in Netanya, Israel, culminating her phenomenal performance by smashing her own 1500m Freestyle Sri Lanka Record by an astonishing margin of over 36 seconds. The championship concluded on Saturday, marking an exceptional achievement by the 18-year-old athlete.

Rupesinghe, formerly of St. Bridget’s Convent and representing the Killer Whale Aquatics team, currently hones her skills with the Wycombe District Swimming Club in Great Britain. In a breathtaking exhibition of her talent, she recorded a remarkable time of 18 minutes and 38.07 seconds, eclipsing her previous Sri Lanka Record of 19 minutes and 14.97 seconds, established at the 46th National Age Group Championship in Colombo in 2022.

“I am very happy to be able to set new national records in the 800m freestyle and 1500m freestyle events. In the 1500m event, I broke my own previous record and I was able to better my time by about 36 seconds,” remarked Rupesinghe.

Earlier in the week, Rupesinghe also established a new Sri Lanka Record in the 800m Freestyle, clocking an impressive time of 9 minutes and 37.56 seconds.

“The 800m Freestyle record is a new one, and I was delighted to have broken it. I hope to continue training hard and represent Sri Lanka in the future. My immediate goal is the South Asian Games, where I aim to secure medals and bring glory to Sri Lanka,” she added.

In the 1500m Freestyle event, Rupesinghe found herself competing against top-notch swimmers from around the world. Seventeen-year-old Kate Hurst of the United States clinched the gold medal, completing the grueling race in a remarkable 16 minutes and 9.37 seconds. Ruka Takezawa, also 17, secured the Silver Medal with a time of 16 minutes and 18.68 seconds, while the precocious 14-year-old Yihan Mao of China captured the Bronze Medal with a timing of 16 minutes and 18.76 seconds.

Minagi Rupesinghe’s astounding performance at the World Junior Aquatic Championships has firmly placed her on the global swimming map, earning her well-deserved recognition and admiration from the international swimming community. Her dedication and remarkable achievements serve as an inspiration for aspiring athletes in Sri Lanka and beyond.

The post Minagi sets new 1500m Freestyle SL Record at World Junior Aquatic C’ships appeared first on DailyNews.