Ranatunge Karunananda

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Ranatunge Karunananda
Personal information
NationalitySri Lankan
Born(1936-05-21)21 May 1936
Died15 December 1974(1974-12-15) (aged 38)[1]
Sport
CountrySri Lanka
SportTrack and field
Event(s)5000 meters, 10,000 meters Long-distance running
Updated on 15 October 2015

Ranatunge Koralage Jayasekara Karunananda (21 May 1936[2] – 15 December 1974) was a Sri Lankan athlete. He was a long distance runner and represented the country during the 1960s and 1970s. Karunananda competed in the 10,000 meter race last at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[3][4]

Early Life

Karunananda was born in Ampitiya on May 21st, 1936. He attended primary school at Jinaraja Boys College in Gampola, and then attended Berrewaerts College in Ampitiya. In 1961, Karunananda enlisted in the Ceylonese Army and served in the First Engineers Regiment.[5]

1964 Olympics

Karunananda represented Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was named at the time) in the 1964 Summer Olympics Men’s 5000 meters and Men’s 10,000 meters competitions.[6] In the 10,000 meter race, Karunananda was soon overtaken by the leading athletes and was lapped a total of four times until the winner of the race, Billy Mills of the United States, broke the tape to finish the race. Karunananda continued to run after the others had finished the race. At first, spectators started to jeer at him, but when he eventually finished the race, he was met with cheers and applause.[7][8][9][10]

Two days later, Karunananda finished second from last in the heats of the 5000 meters, well behind the other runners but a minute ahead of the last runner from Vietnam.

Legacy

Japanese reporter Haruo Suzuki was one of the first reporters to have an interview with Karunananda following the race. Instantly, Japanese media started to portray Karunananda as a hero. When questioned, Karunananda told reporters: "The Olympic spirit is not to win, but to take part. So I came here. I took part in the 10,000 meters and completed my rounds."[8]

He was flooded with small gifts which Japanese fans usually send to their heroes.[11] The Olympic Village office asked him to come down and collect his mail because the sack was too big for them to deliver.[12] "I saw you on television running all one and I couldn't keep back my tears", a letter from a young housewife said. "I felt I was feeling for the first time the true Olympic spirit".[11]

Karunananda's Olympic story has been entered into Japanese school textbooks titled 'Uniform Number 67', 'Bottom Ranked Hero'.[3]

Death

Karunananda was invited to Japan to receive an award in January 1975. Two weeks before, however, Karunananda mysteriously died, drowning in the Namal Oya water tank in Ampara. Karunananda’s wife suffered a mental breakdown following her husband’s death and the family was forced onto the streets. Later, one of the relatives offered to fund and take care of his family. The Sri Lankan government did not acknowledge his legacy or look after his family.[3][5]

References

  1. ^ Biography of Ranatunge Karunananda
  2. ^ "Ranatunge Karunananda". SportsReference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Athletics: The inside story of 'Marathon Karu's' legend". Sunday Times. 2012-09-15. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  4. ^ "Ranatunge J. KARUNANANDA - Olympic Athletics | Sri Lanka". International Olympic Committee. 2016-06-13. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
  5. ^ a b Fernando, Shemal (2021-07-03). "Ranatunge Karunananda: Most courageous and spirited loser at 1964 Tokyo Olympics". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  6. ^ "Ranatunge J. KARUNANANDA". Olympics.com. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  7. ^ "R.J.K. Karunananda: A forgotten hero". The Island. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  8. ^ a b "Sri Lanka's unsung Karunananda, a hero in Tokyo!". The Island. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  9. ^ KARUNANANDA - THE MOST SPIRITED LOSER, retrieved 2023-05-26
  10. ^ "He Is Last in the Race, First in Hearts of Fans". The New York Times. 1964-10-20. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  11. ^ a b Runner first with fans, Arizona Daily Star, 20 October, 1964 (via newspapers.com)
  12. ^ Magnificent - but Britain can never repeat it, Chris Brasher, The Observer, 25 October 1964 (via newspapers.com)
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