Tharanga tops world list with record javelin throw

Colombo, March 31 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka’s rising javelin star Rumesh Tharanga produced a stunning performance to set a new national record with a throw of 89.37 metres at the Champions Track & Field Meet held at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium on Saturday.

The 22-year-old delivered the record-breaking throw on his final attempt, after an impressive series of throws that showed remarkable consistency. He opened with 78.39m and then cleared the 83m mark four times with throws of 83.35m, 83.68m, 84.33m and 84.62m, before producing his best throw of 89.37m to surpass his own previous national record of 86.50m, which is still pending ratification.

The performance also pushed Tharanga to the top of the world seasonal rankings, improving on his earlier season-best of 83.07m recorded in Australia in February. His steady progress in recent months has strengthened his position as one of the leading javelin throwers in the world this season.

Tharanga first made headlines last year when he reached the final at the World Championships, becoming the first Sri Lankan track and field athlete to reach a World Championship final in 19 years since Susanthika Jayasinghe won a bronze medal in the 200m event.

At the Tokyo World Championships, Tharanga finished seventh, ahead of several top competitors including Olympic champions Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem. Trained by Tony Prasanna, the former St. Peter’s College athlete continues to show strong potential with his consistent performances on the international stage.