Theekshana Ratnasekera
Personal information | |
---|---|
Full name | Theekshana Ratnasekera |
National team | Sri Lanka |
Born |
Colombo, Sri Lanka | 1 July 1982
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
Weight | 55 kg (121 lb) |
Sport | |
Sport | Swimming |
Strokes | Freestyle |
Theekshana Ratnasekera (born July 1, 1982) is a Sri Lankan former swimmer, who specialized in sprint freestyle events.[1] She represented Sri Lanka, as an 18-year-old teen, at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and also held numerous age group and meet records in a sprint freestyle (both 50 and 100 m). Ratnasekera also won in a pre-Olympic selection over Radiesha Daluwatte, the teenage daughter of former Sri Lankan army commander Rohan Daluwatte, despite that the general had filed a petition in the Court of Appeals to challenge the sports officials' decision.[2][3]
Ratnasekera competed only in the women's 50 m freestyle at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She received a ticket from FINA, under a Universality program, in an entry time of 29.90.[4][5] Swimming in heat two, she held off a sprint battle against six other swimmers to overhaul a 30-second barrier and hit the wall first in a sterling time and a Sri Lankan record of 29.88. Ratnasekera's effortless triumph was not enough to put her through to the semifinals, as she placed sixty-fourth overall in the prelims.[6][7][8]
References
- ↑ "Theekshana Ratnasekera". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ↑ "Sri Lanka general's daughter in selection spat". Oneindia.in. 1 September 2000. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ↑ Wilson, Alastair (30 August 2000). "Olympic row in Sri Lanka". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ↑ "Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 2)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ↑ Goonetilleke, Asoka (22 September 2000). "Conrad Francis betters SL record in Sydney". The Island (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ↑ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Heat 2" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 164. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ↑ "Results from the Summer Olympics – Swimming (Women's 50m Freestyle)". Canoe.ca. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ↑ Goonetilleke, Asoka (24 September 2000). "Susanthika qualifies for 100m semis". The Island (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 25 June 2013.