In the absence of Neeraj Chopra, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh kills the competition to win the Diamond League final

In the absence of Neeraj Chopra, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage obliterated the competition to win his first Diamond League men’s javelin final. The win capped off an incredible season for the Sri Lankan superstar who has won every major competition she has entered in 2026.

On Saturday night in Brussels, Rumesh won the Diamond League final with a monster throw of 89.04 meters to beat 2025 world champion Keshorn Walcott and 2024 Diamond League final winner Anderson Peters. Rumesh will win the 2026 Diamond League final. (Photo Reuters)

The Sri Lankan superstar, who has seen an unprecedented rise this season, dominated almost every single toss on Saturday. Rumesh started with a modest throw of 80.42m, putting him in third place behind Keshorn and Peters after the first round. He rose on the third, fourth and fifth throws and hit distances of 89.04m, 85.96m and 85.76m.

By this time, Walcott and Peters had fallen behind, recording their best throws of 83.99m and 93.70m respectively. Second to Rumesh was 26-year-old Pole Dawid Wagner, who achieved a personal best of 87.47m.

Meanwhile, Indian superstar Neeraj Chopra was unable to participate in the competition due to an ankle injury. Neeraj was ruled out for the season right after the Lausanne Diamond League, after tearing ligaments in training.

RUMESH’S INDIA LINK

Lausanne was Neeraj’s third competition of the year, in a season marred by injuries for him. In Neeraj’s absence, the javelin scene has been dominated by Rumesh, who has scored two 90+ throws this season. Rumesh consistently broke 85m in 2026 and won 10 events with throws over 85m.

His victory in the Diamond League finals is not surprising at all and he is set to compete as a favorite to win the competition at the Asian Games.

Rumesh’s rise in the javelin world is linked to India. The former fast bowler switched to the javelin in 2017 after trying his luck in cricket for several years. He made a big mark in the 2025 NC Classic, an invitational tournament where he got an invite on Neeraj’s recommendation.

Since then, Rumesh has seen a steady rise in his figure and if he continues to maintain his form, he is likely to be the favorite to win the LA 2028 Olympics.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

06 Sep 2026 07:48 IST