Akalanka Peiris

Dimuth Akalanka Peiris also known as Akalanka Peiris (born 11 January 2000) is a Sri Lankan swimmer and a national record holder in swimming. He has represented Sri Lanka in various international competitions including the Youth Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Aquatics Championships.

Education Akalanka Peiris attended St. Peter’s College Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he received the Peterite gold, which is presented to high-achieving students.

He completed his Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) Diploma in Management Accounting and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Analytics in Australia.

He is currently training at the Cheltenham Swimming Club under coach Kelly Stubbins.

Swimming Career Peiris began competing internationally at the 2015 Junior World Championships in Singapore, where he earned a top 50 ranking. Since then, he has set multiple Sri Lankan national records and represented his country in major international competitions, including the Youth Olympics,

At the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal, Peiris won seven medals and set national records in the backstroke and butterfly events.

In 2024, he broke the 26-second barrier in the 50m backstroke at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar achieving a global ranking of 22nd, and winning in the 50m and 100m Backstroke at the Victorian State Sprints Championships.

Over his career, Peiris has won more than 700 medals and has set 82 national age group records in domestic and international competitions.

International Competitions

2015 Junior World Championships Peiris competed at the Junior World Championships held in Singapore, where he achieved a top 50 world ranking.

2017 Youth Commonwealth Games Peiris represented Sri Lanka at the Youth Commonwealth Games in the Bahamas, where he placed in the top 5 for the 50m butterfly 50m backstroke events.

2018 Commonwealth Games Peiris competed at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. He advanced to the semi-finals in the 50m backstroke and was a part of the freestyle relay alongside teammates Matthew Abeysinghe, Kyle Abeysinghe, and Cherantha De Silva, which reached the final.

2018 Asian Games Peiris was selected to represent Sri Lanka at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, which coincided with his Advanced Level (A/L) exams. He became the first Sri Lankan to take his A/L exams overseas, completing his papers at the Sri Lankan embassy in Jakarta. At the Games, Peiris reached the finals in the freestyle relay alongside teammates Matthew Abeysinghe, Kyle Abeysinghe, and Cherantha De Silva, He also placed 16thin Asia for the 50m backstroke. 2021 FINA World Swimming Championships Peiris competed at the 2021 World Championships in Abu Dhabi, UAE, achieving a world ranking of 37th in the 50m backstroke and 41st in the 100m backstroke.

2023 Asian Games Peiris competed in the Asian Games, Hangzhou, China, where he placed 10th in Asia in the 50m backstroke (short course).

2023 Australian Swimming Championships At the Australian Swimming Nationals in Sydney, Australia, Peiris secured a 10th-place finish in the 50m backstroke (long course).

2024 World Aquatic Championships In 2024, Peiris competed at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, where he broke the 26-second barrier in the 50m backstroke, setting a new national record and achieving a ranking of 22nd globally, 3rd in Asia, and 1st in South Asia in this event.

2024 Victorian State Sprints Swimming Championship At the Victorian State Sprints Championships held in Melbourne, Australia, Peiris claimed 1st place in both the 50m and 100m backstroke events, setting new national records in both events.

Local Competitions

Sri Lanka National Champion – 2019/2022 National Age Group Champion – 2009/2011/2013/2014/2015/2017/2018 Broke 82 Sri Lankan National Age Group Records He won 700+ International and National Medals