Sri Lankan athlete Rumesh Tharanga has won the men’s javelin throw at the 2026 Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a throw of 88.14 metres.
The victory adds to a remarkable run of international performances that has established the 23-year-old athlete among the world’s leading javelin throwers.
Tharanga recently rose to the top of the world men’s javelin rankings following a series of strong performances on the international stage.
He also made history at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland by winning the men’s javelin gold medal with a throw of 89.75 metres.
His Commonwealth Games victory earned him a world ranking score of 1,354 points, placing him ahead of Germany’s Julian Weber on 1,348 points, while Grenada’s Anderson Peters remained in third place.
Tharanga’s Commonwealth Games triumph also marked a historic achievement for Sri Lankan athletics, as he became the country’s first athlete to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in athletics.
He produced his winning 89.75-metre throw on his second attempt at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, defeating a strong international field to secure the landmark victory.
The gold medal also ended Sri Lanka’s 20-year wait for a Commonwealth Games gold medal. The country’s previous gold was won by weightlifter Chinthana Vidanage at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
