Brussels, September 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage created history on Sunday by becoming the first athlete from his country to win the Diamond League title, capping a remarkable breakthrough season.
The 23-year-old, ranked World No. 1, produced a massive throw of 89.04 metres on his third attempt at the King Baudouin Stadium to claim victory in the Diamond League Final. Poland’s Dawid Wegner finished second with a personal best of 87.47m, while former Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago took third with a season-best 83.99m. Grenada’s two-time world champion Anderson Peters finished fourth with 83.70m.
“I’m the first ever Sri Lankan to win the Diamond League Final and that makes me extremely proud. I was really looking forward to competing in the Diamond League and I’m very happy that I’ve been rewarded with a win in the final,” Pathirage said.
He added that he believed he could have thrown farther than 89.04m, but found the conditions difficult, saying he was accustomed to higher temperatures. He also expressed his ambition to challenge the meeting record in the coming years.
Pathirage arrived at the final as the circuit leader after an outstanding campaign. He recorded four victories in five Diamond League appearances, having finished second on his debut in Rabat. He subsequently surpassed 92 metres in both Rome and Zurich.
His world-leading throw of 92.62m in Rome also helped propel him to the top of the world rankings.
India’s Neeraj Chopra, the 2022 Diamond League champion, qualified for the final after finishing sixth in the overall standings but did not compete after being ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle ligament tear sustained during training.
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