Damayanthi Dharsha

Who is Damayanthi Dharsha?

Damayanthi Dharsha is a retired Sri Lankan athlete who competed in the 200 and 400 metres.

Dharsha made an initial impact at just 16 years when she won the 100 metres gold medal at the Colombo SAF Games in 1991 with a new record. She broke into the limelight by winning the 100m gold at the Asian junior championships the same year.

In 1994, she won the bronze in the 200 metres behind Chinese Taipei’s Wang Huei-Chen and team-mate Susanthika Jayasinghe at the Asian Games in Hiroshima. That was the beginning of a dominant period for Sri Lanka in women’s sprinting with Jayasinghe and Darsha seriously challenging the Chinese.

In July 2007, Dharsha announced her retirement from athletic competition.