Akalanka Peiris

Last updated
Akalanka Peiris
Akalanka Peiris.jpg
Peiris after breaking the 50m Backstroke National Record (2022)
Personal information
Full nameDimuth Akalanka Peiris
NationalityFlag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
Born (2000-01-11) 11 January 2000 (age 25)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Height182.88 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight78 kg (172 lb)
Sport
Sport Swimming
CoachKelly Stubbins
Medal record
Representing Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka
South Asian Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2019 Kathmandu 4x100m freestyle relay
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2019 Kathmandu50m backstroke
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2019 Kathmandu100m backstroke
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2019 Kathmandu200m backstroke
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2019 Kathmandu50m freestyle
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2019 Kathmandu100m freestyle
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2019 Kathmandu50m butterfly

Dimuth Akalanka Peiris also known as Akalanka Peiris (born 11 January 2000) is a Sri Lankan swimmer and a national record holder in swimming. He has represented Sri Lanka in various international competitions including the Youth Olympics, [1] Commonwealth Games, [2] Asian Games [3] and World Aquatics Championships.

Contents

Education

Akalanka Peiris attended St. Peter’s College Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he received the Peterite gold, which is presented to high-achieving students.

He completed his Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) Diploma in Management Accounting and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Analytics in Australia.

He is currently training at the Cheltenham Swimming Club under coach Kelly Stubbins.

Swimming Career

Peiris began competing internationally at the 2015 Junior World Championships in Singapore, where he earned a top 50 ranking. [4] Since then, he has set multiple Sri Lankan national records and represented his country in major international competitions, including the Youth Olympics, [1] Commonwealth Games, [2] Asian Games, [3] and World Aquatic Championships. [5]

At the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal, Peiris won seven medals and set national records in the backstroke and butterfly events.

In 2024, he broke the 26-second barrier in the 50m backstroke at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar achieving a global ranking of 22nd, [5] 3rd in Asia, and 1st in South Asia—a milestone for Sri Lankan swimming. He became a top swimmer in the Australian circuit, finishing in the top 6 for the 50m backstroke at the 2024 Australian Nationals [6] and winning in the 50m and 100m Backstroke at the Victorian State Sprints Championships. [7]

Over his career, Peiris has won more than 700 medals and has set 82 national age group records in domestic and international competitions.

International Competitions

2015 Junior World Championships

Peiris competed at the Junior World Championships held in Singapore, where he achieved a top 50 world ranking. [4]

2015 Asian Age Group Swimming Championships

At the Asian Age Group Championships in Thailand, Peiris placed 7th in the 50m backstroke and 8th place in the 100m backstroke. [4]

2016 Asian School Games

Peiris won silver medals in the 50m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly at the 2016 Asian Schools Games in Indonesia. [4]

2016 International Sports Games (Mini Olympics)

At the International Sports Games, also known as the Mini Olympics, held in Russia, Peiris earned a world ranking of 1st in the 100m backstroke. [8]

2017 Youth Commonwealth Games

Peiris represented Sri Lanka at the Youth Commonwealth Games in the Bahamas, where he placed in the top 5 for the 50m butterfly 50m backstroke events.

2018 Commonwealth Games

Peiris competed at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. He advanced to the semi-finals in the 50m backstroke and was a part of the 4×100m freestyle relay alongside teammates Matthew Abeysinghe, Kyle Abeysinghe, and Cherantha De Silva, which reached the final.

2018 Asian Games

Peiris was selected to represent Sri Lanka at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, which coincided with his Advanced Level (A/L) exams. [9] [10] He became the first Sri Lankan to take his A/L exams overseas, completing his papers at the Sri Lankan embassy in Jakarta. [11] [12] At the Games, Peiris reached the finals in the 4×100m freestyle relay alongside teammates Matthew Abeysinghe, Kyle Abeysinghe, and Cherantha De Silva, He also placed 16thin Asia for the 50m backstroke. [4]

2018 Summer Youth Olympics

Peiris represented Sri Lanka at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. [1]

2019 South Asian Games

At the 2019 South Asian Games in Kathmandu, Nepal, Peiris won seven medals. He earned a gold medal in the 4×100m freestyle relay alongside teammates Matthew Abeysinghe, Kyle Abeysinghe, and Kavindra Nugawela. He won silver medals in the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke events and won bronze medals in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly events. During the competition, he set national records in each backstroke event and the 50m butterfly.

2019 World Aquatic Championships

In 2019, Peiris represented Sri Lanka at the World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, as the only male swimmer on the national team. [4]

2019 Singapore Nationals

Peiris competed at the Singapore Nationals, he won a silver in the 50m backstroke and a bronze in the 100m backstroke. [13] [14]

2021 FINA World Swimming Championships

Peiris competed at the 2021 World Championships in Abu Dhabi, UAE, achieving a world ranking of 37th in the 50m backstroke and 41st in the 100m backstroke. [4]

2022 Commonwealth Games

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Peiris continued his record-breaking performances, setting a new national record in the 50m backstroke and achieving a seasonal best in the 50m butterfly. [15] [16]

2023 Asian Games

Peiris competed in the Asian Games, Hangzhou, China, where he placed 10th in Asia in the 50m backstroke (short course). [17]

2023 Australian Swimming Championships

At the Australian Swimming Nationals in Sydney, Australia, Peiris secured a 10th-place finish in the 50m backstroke (long course). [18]

2024 World Aquatic Championships

In 2024, Peiris competed at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, where he broke the 26-second barrier in the 50m backstroke, setting a new national record and achieving a ranking of 22nd globally, [5] [19] 3rd in Asia, and 1st in South Asia in this event.

2024 Victorian State Sprints Swimming Championship

At the Victorian State Sprints Championships held in Melbourne, Australia, Peiris claimed 1st place in both the 50m and 100m backstroke events, setting new national records in both events. [7]

2024 Australian National Short Course Swimming Championship

At the 2024 Australian Nationals in Adelaide, Australia, Peiris achieved two more national records in the 50m and 100m backstroke events, ranking among Australia’s top 6 backstroke swimmers. [7] [20]

Local Competitions

Sri Lankan National Records
EventNational Record Time (s)DateMeetLocation
Long Course (50m)50m Backstroke25:8617 Feb 2024 World Championships Doha, Qatar
100m Backstroke56:9911 Sep 2017Asian Age Group Championships Tashkent, Uzbekistan
50m Butterfly24:8629 July 2022 Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom
4x100m Freestyle Relay3:22:846 April 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia
Short Course (25m)50m Backstroke24:5228 Sep 2024Australian Nationals Adeleide,  Australia
100m Backstroke53:4727 Sep 2024Australian Nationals Adeleide,  Australia
200m Backstroke2:01:556 Dec 2019 South Asian Games Kathmandu, Nepal
4x100m Freestyle Relay3:19:075 Dec 2019 South Asian Games Kathmandu, Nepal

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ranasinghe, Dinushki (2018-10-02). "Akalanka eyes Youth Olympic Gold". ThePapare. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  2. 1 2 "Swimming | Athlete Profile: Akalanka PEIRIS - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games". 2018-08-19. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  3. 1 2 "Sri Lanka's Peiris takes exams amid Asian Games". ESPN.com. 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Dimuth Akalanka PEIRIS | Results | World Aquatics Official". World Aquatics. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  5. 1 2 3 Herath, Shenali (2024-02-18). "Akalanka Peiris sets a new national record at the World Aquatic Championships". ThePapare. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  6. ↑ Abeykoon, Gayan (2024-10-20). "Akalanka creates history with stunning display at Australian Nationals". DailyNews. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  7. 1 2 3 malinga (2024-08-20). "Akalanka sets two new national records". DailyNews. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  8. ↑ Welagedara, Indika. "Peterite Akalanka wins Swimming Gold in Russia". Daily News. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  9. ↑ "Akalanka will sit the GCE ALs in Indonesia and also swim at the Asian Games". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  10. ↑ "Swimmer Akalanka gets green light to sit for GCE A/L exam in Jakarta". Daily News. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  11. ↑ Ranasinghe, Dinushki (2018-08-18). "Akalanka takes A/L's amidst Asian Games". ThePapare. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  12. ↑ "Peiris misses opening ceremony due to A-Level exams". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  13. ↑ Ranasinghe, Dinushki (2019-06-21). "Akalanka doubles up with a Silver". ThePapare. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  14. ↑ Ranasinghe, Dinushki (2019-06-22). "3 medals for Sri Lanka at Singapore Nationals". ThePapare. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  15. ↑ Herath, Shenali (2022-07-29). "Seasons best for Sri Lankan swimmer Akalanka Peiris". ThePapare. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  16. ↑ "Akalanka sets national record in Birmingham". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  17. ↑ Welmilla, Hishan (2023-09-25). "Akalanka Peiris has achieved his Personal Best of 26.01 seconds in the Men's 50m Backstroke". www.srilankasports.com. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  18. ↑ "Meet Results: 2023 Australian Swimming Championships". liveresults.swimming.org.au. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  19. ↑ malinga (2024-02-17). "Swimmer Akalanka Peiris breaks 26-second barrier". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  20. ↑ Herath, Shenali (2024-08-19). "Akalanka Peiris renews 100m Backstroke SC National Record". ThePapare. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  21. ↑ Today, Ceylon (2022-12-30). "Killer Whale seal the deal clinching Overall National Championships". Ceylon Today. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  22. ↑ "A Triple Champion". www.sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
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