Yupun Abeykoon
By Reemus Fernando
Italy-based sprinter Yupun Abeykoon is set to compete against a star-studded lineup that includes world champion Fred Kerley, Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs and Kenyan world leader in the 100 metres this season, Ferdinand Omanyala at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Florence on June 2.
Yupun had a remarkable season in 2022 where he was Asia’s fastest performer in the 100 metres with a Sri Lanka record time of 9.96 seconds and bagged a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. He became the first man from the South Asian region to produce a sub 10 seconds, once considered an impossible feat for a sprinter from the region in the 100 metrres..
“When your entire focus is on your goal, you will reach levels of achievement that you never thought it would be possible,” wrote Abeykoon in a social media post after his name appeared alongside the names of some of the fastest men in history of the discipline.
The event in Florence will be one of the eagerly anticipated clashes of the season in the Wanda Diamond League circuit where Kerley, Jacobs and Diamond League champion and world bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell are set to clash for supremacy. They are also scheduled to meet at the Meeting International Mohammed VI in Rabat on May 28 as well.
The star-studded 100 metres lineup also includes Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake who is history’s third fastest performer, though he has not touched the blistering 9.69 feat he performed in 2012 as of late.
All eyes will be on the likes of Bromell, Kerley and Jacobs but the Sri Lankan will be eying a great start to prove that his record-breaking 9.96 performance last year was not a fluke. He commenced the season early this month with a 20.60 seconds finish in the 200 metres at the Stadio Luigi Ridolfi, Firenze.
Yupun is the first Sri Lankan sprinter since the retirement of Olympic medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe to feature in such a star-studded lineup at a World Athletics event.
Sri Lanka’s highest-ranked track and field athlete is the prime medal prospect at this year’s Asian Games as the country’s athletics governing body looks forward to ending more than a decade-long medal drought at the regional event.
With Sri Lanka looking forward to sending teams for a number of international competitions the athletics fraternity will be eagerly waiting for Yupun to produce some exciting performances during the next few months.