Sri Lankan woman eyeing Spanish dream as Olympics goes to bed | Sunday Observer

Sri Lankan woman eyeing Spanish dream as Olympics goes to bed

12 April, 2020
Hiruni Wijeratne
Hiruni Wijeratne

Spain may be a place of death these days with coronavirus taking a heavy toll, but it has become a dream destination for Sri Lankan marathon runner Hiruni Wijeratne who has found some luck come her way thanks to the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Wijeratne is herself in lockdown in the USA where she is residing and training but with a new Olympic qualification period set between December 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021, she is looking to get back into rhythm at the Spanish meet on December 5.

“My plan is to race at the marathon in Valencia, Spain on December 5. It falls on my birthday and I hope it will be lucky for me,” Wijeratne told the Sunday Observer in an interview.

“I’ve been training almost my whole life to achieve Olympic qualification. I was about eight weeks away from obtaining it. Then without any notice every chance of doing so was taken away. I was very upset and sad.

“But now I realize that my Olympic dreams are not cancelled, it is just postponed. I waited for 28 years, what’s one more for the sake of humanity,” she added optimistically.

Wijeratne became the first Sri Lankan woman to win a marathon at the South Asian Games when she achieved the feat at the event held in Nepal last year after being placed 11th at the last Commonwealth Games.

Wijeratne currently trains inside her house  in Houston, Texas due to the current restrictions in the USA with an hour’s workout in the morning and another 45 minutes in the evening.

“With no competitions there is no need for peak fitness. I run inside the house or very close to the house early mornings. I also do several home workouts to maintain my strength. I am also keen on my diet,” she said.

“Indoor training is in a small space. It’s also very boring as the mind cannot see beyond the walls in the house. I can’t run 21 kms in my house as I usually can outside in one day.”

But what can Wijeratne do in the absence of her coach these days. She was right on target. “I speak to my coach over the phone. As there is no immediate competition, not getting to see him is no big deal,” she declared.

Having become the first Sri Lankan woman to win the marathon gold at the South Asian Games, Wijeratne is now targettng the first place at the Asian Games.

She did not forget to spare a thought for her fellow Sri Lankan athletes who may be in a worse situation that she is.  “I share their anger and frustration. However we all have to do our part so we can resume what we enjoy the most – competition and sports. I encourage athletes to stay fit any way they can and always be keen to keep up their health.”

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