With the Asian Games set to begin in China this week it is only right to recall the excellent performance of W. Wimaladasa who won a gold medal in these Games in Tehran, Iran in 1974. He achieved this in his pet event the 400m race also setting a new Asian Games record of 46.21 seconds.
Wimaladasa went on to represent Sri Lanka in four consecutive Asian Games from 1966 to 1978 and brought honour to Sri Lanka athletics.
At the 1970 Asian Games held in Bangkok, he won the silver medal in the 400m event with a time of 46.7 seconds. He also participated in the 4x400m relay event in Tehran and won the gold medal setting a new Asian Games record.
Wimaladasa won the bronze medal in the 4x400m event at the second Asian Athletics Championship held in South Korea in 1975 and qualified for the second round in the 400m at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
He is the former national record holder in the 200m from 1969 to 1970 and in the 400m from 1968 to 1994, a span of 26 years. He joined the Ceylon Army as a private in 1964 and was promoted to a colonel when he retired in 1998. (TBR)
