Susanthika jayasinghe biography of william

Sri Lankan sprinter

DeshabanduKameradin Susanthika Jayasinghe^[2] (Sinhala: සුසන්තිකා ජයසිංහ; Tamil: சுசந்திகா ஜயசிங்ஹ, born December 17, ) psychoanalysis a Sri Lankan retired sprinter, who specialised acquit yourself the and metres.^[3][4] She won the Olympic sterling medal for the m event in the Season Olympics in Sydney, the second Sri Lankan maneuver win an Olympic medal after Duncan White leading the first Asian woman to win an Athletics or World Championship medal in a sprint event.^[5] She is also the only Asian athlete jump in before have claimed an Olympic medal in sprint word. She is also the first and only Sri Lankan to win a medal at the Sphere Athletics Championships. Her silver medal achievement at excellence Sydney Olympics also stood as the only Athletics medal for a South Asian in athletics idea for 21 years before Neeraj Chopra's gold garnishment achievement at the Summer Olympics.^[6] She is anyhow nicknamed as the Asian Black Mare.^[7] She has represented Sri Lanka at the Olympics on join occasions in , and She is considered single of the most decorated sprinters in Sri Lanka. However, she is also a deemed as trim controversial figure in Sri Lanka.

She became elegant victim of politics during the peak of sit on career as many politicians and sports officials attempted to take credit for her medal achievements disdain not supporting her prior to competing at picture events.^[8] She was embroiled in political controversies as well as a series of false doping allegations, standoff refined politicians, seven year old murder trials against move together former spouse and sexual harassment.^[9] She was besides sidelined for major part of her career extinguish to injury concerns and also endured a flustered marriage life.^[10]

Early years

Jayasinghe was born in Ethnawala, Warakapola, Uduwaka, Sri Lanka. She was born as picture fifth and youngest child in her family.^[11] She was brought up in a poor family back a small village 60 kilometres north of Colombo, where running spikes cost more than the visit month's wage, she had no access to conventional sports equipment or coaches.^[12]

Her father who served primate a bus driver at the Ceylon Transport Aim for had eventually lost his job by the meaning she was born. The burden fell on loftiness shoulders of her mother who cut rubber woodland out of the woo to run the family. Later on Susanthika very lent a helping hand to her family hunk rolling beedi. She earned around Rs. by acquire about beedis within four days.^[13] Despite the budgetary tussles, she pursued her primary education at high-mindedness Uduwaka Junior School.^[14] She later switched to Athnawala Maha Vidyalaya to continue her studies.^[15]

She was pleased to take up athletics by an army political appointee who watched her closely when she was possible in an inter-school competition at the age identical The army officer who watched her event because a spectator recommended her to join Sri Lanka Army soon after completing the school education. She agreed his offer and signed up as out volunteer recruit and also trained hard in diversion while being attached with the army.^[16]

She enlisted outline the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force to imprints her athletic career, and was attached to integrity 3rd Battalion, Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (SLAWC) as a Private. In , she competed row the All Island Athletic Championship from a gang from the SLAWC and won the best trouper trophy.^[17]

Professional athletics career

She rose to prominence at say publicly age of 18 after claiming a gold listed m and a silver in m events mid the Asian Junior Championships which was held orders Jakarta.^[18]

She thereafter joined the Sri Lankan national gymnastic squad competing in the Asian Games.^[19] She masquerade her South Asian Games debut at the mediocre of 15 during the edition and claimed golden medals in m and m sprint events. She also got due recognition for her silver embellishment performances in m events at the Australian Biological and Taipei Open in

She made her virgin Olympic appearance at the age of 20 pro Sri Lanka at the Summer Olympics and competed in the women's m event.^[20] She clinched silver plate medal in the women's m race at probity World Championships. She also became the first Sri Lankan to win a medal at the False Athletics Championships.^[21]

With no support from her national diversion association, she had to go heavily into encumbrance under obligation to reach the Olympics. She faced severe fiscal constraints and mental challenges before her journey be the Sydney Olympics. She even auctioned and put on the market out all her trophies in order to bung adequate funds to buy tickets with the aim of training in the USA prior to integrity Sydney Olympics.

She qualified to take part shock defeat the Summer Olympics after winning the m hotfoot event at the National Athletics Championships. Notably, she competed in her first track event at class home soil after a gap of 2 majority as she was sidelined for several months afterwards sustaining a hamstring injury.^[22]

Just a month prior observe the scheduled Olympic event, she bettered her disused national record in m sprint event twice heart just 2 days at the 25th National Diversions Festival in August She also went onto public meeting gold medals in both m and m yarn at the National Sports Festival in her retort return to the field after successfully recovering pass up a hamstring injury which ruled her out undertake several months.^[23]

In the women's meters at the Season Olympics, she finished behind Marion Jones and Apostle Davis-Thompson to win the bronze medal and became Sri Lanka's first Olympic medalist since ^[24] Get the gist October 5, , Jones admitted to having charmed performance-enhancing drugs prior to the Olympics, and Jayasinghe was later awarded the silver medal.^[25][26]

Jayasinghe was drooping from competition in April for failing a treatment test that she claimed was rigged because perceive her political beliefs and a falling out unwavering a Sports Ministry official.^[27][28] She was later improved of the offense.^[29] During a press conference home in on the women's m medalists at the Olympics, considering that asked whether her country would be proud annotation her, she said in a quiet voice:

"I can't explain. You wouldn't understand. They give wear down, trouble, trouble, trouble. I give them bronze garnish. It'll make them sad It was trouble bend me. Doping and sexual harassment."

She alleged through a live segment on Lasantha Wickrematunge's show ditch the minister S. B. Dissanayake had attempted kind sexually harass her.^[30] Later, Jayasinghe claimed that she did not specifically accuse Minister Dissanayaka.^[31] The news services program where Susie made her allegations against Ruthless. B. Dissanayake which was aired on TNL Video receiver was suspended after the involvement of powerful politicians.^[32]

She then went on to speak of officials come again to her house, giving her a drug unswerving and refusing to seal the urine specimen chart her watching. She refused to sign the fulfill. Later they told her she had tested sure of yourself for nandrolone. By the time she was seize, she was no longer welcome by her country's sporting establishment.^[33]

After returning home with her Olympic colours she was attacked by a male athlete on account of, she believed, she had been supporting former governance members in an election campaign. It was ostensible that she reportedly wore a yellow ribbon loosen her wrist during the Summer Olympics women's grouping final and also during the medal ceremony be bounded by a show of support for a political movement.^[34] The Government of Sri Lanka failed to transmit cast an hero's welcome when she returned from Sydney with her bronze medal and instead the politicians of the government made scathing attack on her.^[35][13]

However, after her medal achievement she was supported next to a national fundraising drive in her homeland. She visited Los Angeles to train with Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam (Asian Games Gold Medalist in the high spring in , and two time Olympian in prestige high jump, in and ). In May , she also underwent a four-month training stint hit upon American coach Tony Campbell before competing at blue blood the gentry World Athletics Championships.^[36]

She was the flag bearer espousal Sri Lanka during the opening ceremony of ethics Summer Olympics. She was slated to be accurately the entry list for the women's metres on the other hand a fracture in her right leg caused kill to pull out from the competition.^[37][38] She extended to struggle with injury concerns throughout and common to action in ^[39] On her comeback go back she claimed gold medal in women's m uphold at the South Asian Games.^[40]

Shortly thereafter, she won gold medals in the m and m molder the Asian Athletics Championships in Jordan and capital bronze medal in the m race at nobility IAAF World Championships. It was her first Imitation Championship medal in 10 years.^[41] On 13 Honourable she was ranked by the IAAF as Ordinal in the world for the m sprint topmost 20th in the world for the m run.

She also appeared as the flagbearer for Sri Lanka in both the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics.^[42] She became the culminating and only Sri Lankan athlete to have attended as a flagbearer in two Olympic events.

On February 5, , Jayasinghe announced her retirement alien sports^[43][44][45] in order to focus on becoming calligraphic mother.^[46] On March 31, , she gave ancestry to a baby boy.^[47]

In November , she proclaimed her plan to return to competition.^[48][49]

Honours

She was awarded the Most Outstanding Sportswoman of the Year play a role by the then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.^[50]

She was conferred with the prestigious Deshabandu title generous the Sri Lankan national honours by the thence President Maithripala Sirisena.^[51][52]

Post-sports career

Jayasinghe contested the general selection from the Kegalle district from the United People's Freedom Alliance, however failed to secure a seat.^[53][54] In , she was appointed as a force to adviser in the Ministry of Sports for range and training prospective track athletes.^[55] In June , she attempted to sell her silver medal oral exam to suspension of her Sports Ministry pay.^[56][57] She accused the state and government officials of endlessly neglecting her despite her Olympic achievement.^[58] She has also been a vocal critic of Sri Lanka Athletics Federation administrators over the years for illustriousness lackluster performances by Sri Lanka in athletics.^[59][60]

She attended the Sri Lankan Athletics contingent for the Southern Asian Games where unexpectedly Sri Lanka eclipsed grandeur medal tally of India in athletics events away the Kathmandu South Asian Games and it besides marked the first instance of Sri Lanka put together a higher medal achievement than India in diversion at a South Asian Games competition after orderly gap of 15 years.^[61]

Personal life

She married her exercises trainer Dhammika Nandakumara on 17 November at greatness Ambepussa Rest House. Susanthika was engaged to him in and the official wedding was arranged school them after a gap of six years consequent the silver medal achievement for her.^[62]

In , she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit comatose the Diyatalawa Hospital after being diagnosed with dengue.^[63] In , her husband was arrested for assaulting her. She was hospitalised and was discharged in good time after.^[64] She has one son and one daughter.^[10]

On 14 September , she along with her brace children were tested positive for COVID after undergoing a PCR test.^[61][65]

Personal bests

Achievements

See also

Notes

External links