45 Facts About Susanthika Jayasinghe

Deshabandu Kameradin Susanthika Jayasinghe is a Sri Lankan retired sprinter, who specialised in the 100 and 200 metres.

Susanthika Jayasinghe won the Olympic silver medal for the 200m event in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, the second Sri Lankan to win an Olympic medal after Duncan White and the first Asian woman to win an Olympic or World Championship medal in a sprint event.

Susanthika Jayasinghe is the only Asian athlete to have claimed an Olympic medal in sprint events.

Susanthika Jayasinghe is the first and only Sri Lankan to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships.

Susanthika Jayasinghe is fondly nicknamed as the Asian Black Mare.

Susanthika Jayasinghe has represented Sri Lanka at the Olympics on three occasions in 1996,2000 and 2008.

Susanthika Jayasinghe is considered one of the most decorated sprinters in Sri Lanka.

Susanthika Jayasinghe became a victim of politics during the peak of her career as many politicians and sports officials attempted to take credit for her medal achievements despite not supporting her prior to competing at the events.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was sidelined for major part of her career due to injury concerns and endured a troubled marriage life.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was born as the fifth and youngest child in her family.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was brought up in a poor family in a small village 60 kilometres north of Colombo, where running spikes cost more than the average month's wage, she had no access to proper sports equipment or coaches.

Later on Susanthika too lent a helping hand to her family by rolling beedi.

Susanthika Jayasinghe later switched to Athnawala Maha Vidyalaya to continue her studies.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was encouraged to take up athletics by an army officer who watched her closely when she was running in an inter-school competition at the age of 16.

Susanthika Jayasinghe agreed his offer and signed up as a volunteer recruit and trained hard in athletics while being attached with the army.

Susanthika Jayasinghe enlisted in the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force to pursue her athletic career, and was attached to the 3rd Battalion, Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps as a Private.

Susanthika Jayasinghe rose to prominence at the age of 18 after claiming a gold in 200m and a silver in 100m events during the 1994 Asian Junior Championships which was held in Jakarta.

Susanthika Jayasinghe thereafter joined the Sri Lankan national athletic squad competing in the 1994 Asian Games.

Susanthika Jayasinghe made her South Asian Games debut at the age of 15 during the 1995 edition and claimed gold medals in 100m and 200m sprint events.

Susanthika Jayasinghe got due recognition for her silver medal performances in 100m events at the Australian Open and Taipei Open in 1995.

Susanthika Jayasinghe made her maiden Olympic appearance at the age of 20 representing Sri Lanka at the 1996 Summer Olympics and competed in the women's 100m event.

Susanthika Jayasinghe clinched silver medal in the women's 200m race at the 1997 World Championships.

Susanthika Jayasinghe became the first Sri Lankan to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships.

Susanthika Jayasinghe faced severe financial constraints and mental challenges before her journey to the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Susanthika Jayasinghe even auctioned and sold out all her trophies in order to raise adequate funds to buy tickets with the intention of training in the USA prior to the Sydney Olympics.

Susanthika Jayasinghe went onto claim gold medals in both 100m and 200m events at the 2000 National Sports Festival in her comeback return to the field after successfully recovering from a hamstring injury which ruled her out for several months.

On October 5,2007, Jones admitted to having taken performance-enhancing drugs prior to the Olympics, and Susanthika Jayasinghe was later awarded the silver medal.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was suspended from competition in April 1998 for failing a drug test that she claimed was rigged because of her political beliefs and a falling out with a Sports Ministry official.

Later, Susanthika Jayasinghe claimed that she did not specifically accuse Minister Dissanayaka.

Susanthika Jayasinghe then went on to speak of officials coming to her house, giving her a drug test and refusing to seal the urine specimen with her watching.

Susanthika Jayasinghe visited Los Angeles to train with Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was the flag bearer for Sri Lanka during the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was slated to be on the entry list for the women's 100 metres but a fracture in her right leg caused her to pull out from the competition.

Susanthika Jayasinghe continued to struggle with injury concerns throughout 2005 and returned to action in 2006.

Susanthika Jayasinghe appeared as the flagbearer for Sri Lanka in both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Susanthika Jayasinghe became the first and only Sri Lankan athlete to have appeared as a flagbearer in two Olympic events.

On February 5,2009, Susanthika Jayasinghe announced her retirement from sports in order to focus on becoming a mother.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was awarded the Most Outstanding Sportswoman of the Year in 2008 by the then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was conferred with the prestigious Deshabandu title during the 2017 Sri Lankan national honours by the then President Maithripala Sirisena.

Susanthika Jayasinghe contested the 2010 general election from the Kegalle district from the United People's Freedom Alliance, however failed to secure a seat.

Susanthika Jayasinghe accused the state and government officials of continuously neglecting her despite her Olympic achievement.

Susanthika Jayasinghe has been a vocal critic of Sri Lanka Athletics Federation administrators over the years for the lackluster performances by Sri Lanka in athletics.

Susanthika Jayasinghe accompanied the Sri Lankan Athletics contingent for the 2019 South Asian Games where unexpectedly Sri Lanka eclipsed the medal tally of India in athletics events during the Kathmandu South Asian Games and it marked the first instance of Sri Lanka with a higher medal achievement than India in athletics at a South Asian Games competition after a gap of 15 years.

Susanthika Jayasinghe married her sports trainer Dhammika Nandakumara on 17 November 2000 at the Ambepussa Rest House.

Susanthika Jayasinghe was engaged to him in 1994 and the official wedding was arranged for them after a gap of six years following the silver medal achievement for her.