Four of Sri Lanka’s star sprinters, are set to compete at the 2024 UAE Athletics Grand Prix on 3 May, with each of them striving hard to record recommended timings and amass points, accorded to sprinters by World Athletics (WA), in their bid to qualify for this summer’s Paris Olympics.

The four athletes, who are determined to make this desperate bid for success, are namely the fastest man in South Asia Yupun Abeykoon (men’s 100 m), Tharushi Dilsara Karunaratne, Gayanthika Abeyratne (women’s 800 m) and Nadeesha Ramanayake (women’s 400 m), respectively.

When contacted, Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) Secretary Saman Kumara, said each of the four sprinters will have a genuine opportunity to make an impact at the Dubai Athletics Grand Prix next month.

This he said is due to their recorded timings being in accordance with those recommended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ahead of the Paris Games.

According to Kumara, the fastest man in the country Italy-based Abeykoon, who is fresh following his recent clinching of top spot in the 150m event at the Florence Sprint Festival, will require 10.00 seconds in his pet event of 100 m, to qualify for the Olympics.

He further said that female sprinters, Tharushi Dilsara Karunaratne and Gayanthika Abeyratne, who are both set to compete in the 800 m event, will need to clock in 159.300 seconds, to qualify for the Parisian Games.

He said Nadeesha Ramanayake in the 400 m segment will need to clock in at 50.95 seconds to do likewise.

The SLA Secretary added that before the Summer Olympics start in late June, sprint sensation Abeykoon who is back after a lengthy injury enforced lay off, will have at least five other meets, to compete in mostly European destinations, such as Germany, Italy, Czech Republic and Austria, to name a few.

He also noted that each of these sprinters will have besides the recommended timings for their respective events, a system of granting rankings and points by the WA, at upcoming meets including the Athletics Nationals scheduled from 21 to 23 June at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo, which will further boost their chances of qualifying for the Olympics.