Sri Lankan javelin star Rumesh Tharanga has continued his extraordinary rise in world athletics, clinching first place in the javelin throw event at the 2026 Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a throw of 88.14 metres.

The victory in Switzerland adds to a string of outstanding performances that have placed the 23 year old among the finest javelin throwers on the planet. Tharanga recently rose to the number one position in the world men’s javelin rankings, a reflection of his consistency and form on the international circuit this season.

His rise to the top was driven largely by his performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, where he won the men’s javelin gold medal with a throw of 89.75 metres. 

That effort came on his second attempt at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, where he got the better of a strong international field to claim a landmark win for Sri Lanka.

The Commonwealth Games triumph pushed his world ranking score to 1,354 points, putting him ahead of Germany’s Julian Weber, who sits second with 1,348 points. 

Grenada’s Anderson Peters remains in third position in the current standings.

Tharanga’s win in Glasgow was also significant for another reason, as he became Sri Lanka’s first ever Commonwealth Games athletics gold medallist.

The achievement brought to an end a 20 year wait for the country’s next Commonwealth Games gold, following weightlifter Chinthana Vidanage’s win at the 2006 Games in Melbourne.( Source -The leader)