St. Joseph’s and Lyceum Wattala clinch National Pentathlon Swimming titles
View(s):Sri Lanka Pentathlon Swimming Championship concluded last weekend at the Air Force Pool Complex in Ratmalana.
St. Joseph’s left no lane unturned, topping the boys’ scoreboard with a huge 149 points – almost lapping the competition, as runners-up Trinity College finished far behind with 55 points. Lyceum Wattala’s boys held their own to clinch bronze medal with 51 points.
St. Joseph’s College swimming team proudly pose with the Pentathlon Boys Overall Championship Shield alongside their head coach Dr. Kaushal Manawadu and T.I.C. Lavindi Perera
Meanwhile, in the Girls’ category, Lyceum Wattala’s swimmers rose to the occasion, proving they are not just fast starters but strong finishers too. With a total of 97 points, they dived ahead of runners-up Musaeus College (52 points) and Mahamaya College Kandy (42 points), claiming the Girls’ Overall Championship in style.
The three-day championship, organised by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU), was a testing ground for the island’s best young swimmers. Events were contested across six age categories – Under-11, Under-13, Under-15, Under-17, Under-20, and Over-20 to the test in five-event medleys.
In the Under-11 category, Sethun Rajapaksha of Lyceum International School, Nugegoda and Wonushi Wijesighe of Lyceum, Wattala proved they are the next big fish in the pond, winning the boys’ and girls’ titles respectively.
For the Under-13s, W.S.D. Siriwardena of SNS Swimming Academy showed perfect form and focus to win the boys’ crown, while Elisha Samuel of the British School in Colombo made an impact by capturing the girls’ title.
Lyceum International School, Wattala girls’ swimming team celebrate their victory with the Pentathlon Girls’ Overall Championship Shield, joined by their proud coach Mohamed Imran
One of the key names of the meet was Rushalee Dissanayake of Musaeus College, who took the Under-15 Girls’ Pentathlon title, continuing her reputation as Sri Lanka’s emerging freestyle queen. Dulaksha Ganindu of Lyceum, Gampaha held his own to win the boys’ title in the same category.
In the hotly contested Under-17 class, A.I.M. Haathim of Lyceum, Nugegoda showed great stroke efficiency to finish on top for the boys, while Lehara Melegoda of Anula Vidyalaya proved herself a champion under pressure in the girls’ event.
The Under-20s saw elite-level racing as Shaqib Riyaj of Stafford International School and Jessie Seneviratne of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya swam with poise and power to win their respective titles.
Among the seniors in the Over-20 division, it was experience that triumphed. Gavin Karunanayake of the Sri Lanka Air Force touched home first in the men’s field, while Anjalie Agalawatte of the Sri Lanka Navy clinched the women’s crown.
The Pentathlon format, requiring swimmers to compete across five different disciplines, is no walk in the park. It demands not just speed, but stamina and versatility – making every winner a well-rounded athlete.