Rumesh Tharanga
Sri Lankan javelin thrower (born 2003)
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Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (Sinhala: රුමේෂ් තරංග පතිරගේ, [rumeːʃ taraŋgə patirəgeː]; born 21 March 2003) is a Sri Lankan javelin thrower.[1] He won the gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Sri Lanka Air Force| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage |
| Born | 21 March 2003 Kalutara, Sri Lanka |
| Military career | |
Branch | Sri Lanka Air Force |
Service years | 2024–present |
Rank | Aircraftman |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Javelin throw |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | 92.62 m NR (2026) |
Early life
He is from Kalutara and played as a cricketer in his youth, beginning in 2012, and was measured as bowling at 134 km/h as a teenager whilst playing for St Peter's College, Colombo. His father was a discus and shot-put thrower, and following his guidance started practising the discus before beginning with the javelin throw at St. Peter's College in 2017.[2]
Career
After focusing on the javelin throw, he placed 7th in the final of the 2022 World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, with a throw of 69.98 m.[3]
He began to be coached in Australia under Mike and Kelsey Barber at the Queensland Institute of Sport. He won the 2024 Asian Throwing Championships. The following year, he threw 85.41 m at the Perth Track Classic in Australia, in March 2025.[4] He placed 4th at the 2025 Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea in May 2025 with a throw of 83.37 m.[5]
He became Sri Lankan National champion in August 2025 with a throw of 82.40 m in Diyagama.[6] That month, he set a new Sri Lankan national record with a throw of 86.50 m whilst competing at the Indian Open in Bhubaneswar to break the previous best mark set by Sumeda Ranasinghe.[7] He also retained his title at the Asian Throwing Championships in Mokpo, South Korea in August 2025, with a throw of 82.05 m.[8][9]
At the 2025 World Championships, he finished 12th in the qualification round with a throw of 82.80 m and became the first-ever Sri Lankan javelin thrower to qualify for the finals, where he placed 7th with a throw of 84.38 m.[10]
On 14 February 2026, he threw 83.07 metres to retain his title at the Perth Track Classic.[11] The following month, he set a new national record with a throw of 89.37 metres at the Champions Track & Field Meet in Diyagama.[12] In April, he set a new meeting record of 89.28m at the 2026 Kip Keino Classic.[13] In May, he threw 85.97 metres to finish runner-up at the 2026 Diamond League meeting in Rabat.[14] On 4 June, he won with a throw of 92.62 metres at the 2026 Golden Gala in Rome. It was the furthest throw anywhere in the world since the 2024 Olympics, and moved him to eighth on the world all-time list.[15] This performance sets a new meet record, national record, and world-leading mark for the season to date, as well as a personal best.[16][17] On 16 June, he threw 86.57m to win at the Golden Spike Ostrava, and on 19 June threw 88.68m to win at the 2026 Doha Diamond League.[18][19] On 31 July, he won the gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a second round throw of 89.75 metres.[20]