Brussels, Sep 2026 : Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage capped a remarkable season in emphatic fashion, becoming the first athlete from his country to win the Diamond League javelin throw title.
The 23-year-old world No. 1 produced his winning effort of 89.04 metres on his third attempt at Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium. His throw was enough to secure the top spot ahead of Poland’s Dawid Wegner, who delivered a personal best of 87.47m to finish second.
Pathirage expressed immense pride after creating history for Sri Lanka and said winning the prestigious Diamond League Final was a major reward for his outstanding season.
“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.
The Sri Lankan star, however, believed he could have produced an even bigger throw despite the challenging conditions in Brussels. Accustomed to competing in warmer temperatures, he said he hoped to challenge the meeting record in the coming years.
“I know that I could do much better than the 89.04 today, but the conditions were difficult. I’m used to much higher temperatures. I’ll try to attack and take over the meeting record in the next few years,” he added.
Former Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago finished third with a season-best 83.99m, while Grenada’s two-time world champion Anderson Peters ended the competition in fourth place with 83.70m.
Pathirage’s triumph brought the curtain down on a breakthrough Diamond League campaign. He entered the final as the circuit leader after consistently strong performances throughout the season and won four of his five Diamond League appearances.
Although he finished runner-up on his Diamond League debut in Rabat, the Sri Lankan quickly established himself among the world’s elite. He surpassed the 92-metre mark in both Rome and Zurich, joining an exclusive group of the sport’s all-time leading throwers.
His spectacular 92.62m effort in Rome, which was the world-leading mark at the time, played a key role in lifting him to the top of the global rankings.
India’s Neeraj Chopra, the 2022 Diamond League champion, had qualified for the final after finishing sixth in the overall standings. However, he was absent from Brussels after an ankle ligament tear suffered during training ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
