Theekshana Ratnasekera

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Theekshana Ratnasekera
Personal information
Born (1982-07-01) 1 July 1982 (age 43)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight55 kg (121 lb)
Sport
CountryFlag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
South Asian Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1999 Kathmandu 400 m freestyle

Theekshana Ratnasekera (born 1 July 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 lost the race in the pre-Olympic selection to Radiesha Daluwatte, the teenage daughter of former Sri Lankan army commander Rohan Daluwatte, and the General filed a petition in the Court of Appeals to challenge the sports officials' decision to send Ratnasekera to the Olympics. [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

  1. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Theekshana Ratnasekera". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  2. ↑ "Sri Lanka general's daughter in selection spat". Oneindia.in. 1 September 2000. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  3. ↑ Wilson, Alastair (30 August 2000). "Olympic row in Sri Lanka". BBC Sport . Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 2)" (PDF). Sydney 2000 . Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  5. ↑ Goonetilleke, Asoka (22 September 2000). "Conrad Francis betters SL record in Sydney". The Island (Sri Lanka) . Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Heat 2" (PDF). Sydney 2000 . LA84 Foundation. p. 164. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Results from the Summer Olympics – Swimming (Women's 50m Freestyle)". Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  8. ↑ Goonetilleke, Asoka (24 September 2000). "Susanthika qualifies for 100m semis". The Island (Sri Lanka) . Retrieved 25 June 2013.


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