CWG: Neeraj Chopra stunned by this former Sri Lankan pacer
What's the story
Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has stunned the world by winning gold in men's javelin throw at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. He achieved this feat with a massive throw of 89.75m, beating India's double Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra and other top athletes like world champion Keshorn Walcott, reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, and former world champion Anderson Peters.
Gold secured
Pathirage clinches gold with a single legal throw
The competition was fierce, but Pathirage's single legal throw was enough to clinch the gold medal.
Neeraj bagged silver with a best throw of 85.83m while his compatriot Yashvir Singh won bronze with a personal-best effort of 85.41m.
Despite the tough conditions, Pathirage proved his mettle by defeating some of the world's best javelin throwers in this event.
Javelin expertise
Pathirage's dominance in javelin throw
Pathirage is widely regarded as one of the best javelin throwers in the world.
He holds a world-leading mark of 92.62m and has dominated most tournaments he has participated in.
At the Rome Diamond League earlier this season, he became the first javelin thrower to breach the 90m mark in 2026 with an incredible throw of 92.62m, setting a new meet record and national record for Sri Lanka.
Career transition
From medium pacer to world-class javelin thrower
A former medium pacer, Pathirage switched to javelin under the guidance of coach Tony Prasanna.
He was a promising fast bowler in his teenage years, regularly clocking around 130km/h and once touching 134km/h in the Under-18 category.
Unlike former Sri Lankan javelin thrower Sumedha Ranasinghe, who struggled to maintain standards after crossing the 85m mark, Pathirage has been consistent at the highest level, clearing the 82m mark 13 times during the 2025 season.