Aruna Darshana advances to 400m semifinals at Paris Olympics

Sri Lankan sprinter Aruna Darshana has advanced to the semifinals of the Men’s 400m at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games after finishing third in his heat race.

He ran Heat 5 in 44.99 seconds, his personal best, and secured a spot in the semifinals set for Tuesday (August 6).

In Heat 5, Kirani James from Grenada finished first with a time of 44.78 seconds, and Canada’s Christopher Morales-Williams came second with 44.96 seconds.

Recently, Darshana won first place in the Men’s 400m at the 2nd Belt and Road Invitational Athletics Championship in China, showcasing his speed and skill.

Many believe he could follow the legacy of former Sri Lankan athlete Sugath Thilakaratne.

Darshana also won the Men’s 400m at the 2018 National Athletics Championships with a time of 46.16 seconds.