Sri Lankan javelin throw sensation Rumesh Pathirage secured top spot in the Diamond League final next month, producing a whopping 92.07m throw during the Zurich leg on Thursday. Pathirage, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games earlier this month, had produced his season-best throw earlier this year at the Rome Diamond League with a monstrous effort of 92.67m. With 39 points so far, the Sri Lankan will headline a strong javelin field in the final, scheduled to be held in Brussels on September 4 and 5. The win in Zurich was Pathirage’s fourth consecutive Diamond League victory, following wins in Rome, Doha and Lausanne.
India’s double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will also be part of the Diamond League final line-up despite missing the Zurich leg. Neeraj, who finished second behind Pathirage at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, qualified in sixth place with 12 points. Apart from Pathirage and Neeraj, Anderson Peters, Keshorn Walcott, Curtis Thompson and Julius Yego have also qualified for the men’s javelin final at the King Baudouin Stadium.
Last week, Neeraj finished second at the Lausanne Diamond League with a season-best throw of 88.05 metres.
The result extended Chopra’s wait for a victory, with his last win coming at the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru in July 2025. However, his return to the 88m range will be a major positive, particularly after a difficult start to the season.
Before Lausanne, Chopra had competed in just two events in 2026 — finishing fourth at the Doha Diamond League and second at the Commonwealth Games — without crossing the 86m mark in either competition.
He opened in Lausanne with an 83.54m throw, while Pathirage immediately established himself as the early leader with 85.99m before improving to 87.06m on his second attempt.
Chopra responded strongly with his second throw, producing 88.05m to improve his previous season’s best by 2.23m and move into contention for the title.
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