Paris Olympics: Sri Lanka’s Aruna Darshana to compete in semi-finals tonight

As Sri Lankans await the country’s first medal at the ‘Paris 2024’ Olympics, a key athlete for the island nation in this year’s Olympic Games, Aruna Darshana is set to take part in the Men’s 400m semi-finals tonight (06).

Darshana will take part in the semi-final 02 of the event, which is set to commence at 11.12 p.m. (IST) today.

Athletes from Argentina, South Africa, Italy, Zambia, United States, Botswana and Grenada are set to race in the semi-final 02 alongside Aruna Darshana.

The first two athletes in each semi-final heat and next 2 fastest athletes in overall semi-finals will advance to the Final of the event, according to the International Olympic Committee.

The 25-year-old qualified for the semifinals on Sunday (04), after finishing third in the Heat race. Darshana finished 3rd in the Men’s 400m Heat 5 with a timing of 44.99 seconds, which is his personal best.

The Sri Lankan sprinter recently showcased his exceptional speed and skill on the track achieving an impressive first-place finish in the Men’s 400m event at the 2nd Belt and Road Invitational Athletics Championship held in China.

He has been tipped by many to follow in the footsteps of former Sri Lankan athlete Sugath Thilakaratne. Darshana won the men’s 400m event during the 2018 National Athletics Championships by clocking a time of 46.16 seconds.