Pathirage wins Zurich Diamond League; Neeraj enters finals despite not competing

Sri Lankan Athlete Wins Javelin Throw in Zurich; Neeraj Advances to Finals Without Competing

Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage from Sri Lanka won the javelin throw event at the 2026 Zurich Diamond League in Switzerland on Thursday. He achieved a distance of 92.07 meters in his sixth attempt, securing first place. Anderson Peters from Grenada came in second with 86.93 meters, and Poland’s Dawid Wegner placed third with 851.16 meters.

Pathirage had an outstanding year in 2026, winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He also defeated Neeraj Chopra, who had a season-best throw of 85.83 meters. Despite not competing in Zurich to focus on his health and workload, Neeraj has already qualified for the Diamond League Finals in Brussels.

Pathirage set a national record with a throw of 92.62 meters in Rome earlier this year and continued his success by winning events in Ostrava, Doha, and Lausanne. He made history in Glasgow as Sri Lanka’s first Commonwealth Games javelin champion with an 89.75-meter throw.

In Zurich, he edged out Neeraj by nine centimeters with a throw of 88.14 meters in their previous meeting in Lausanne. Pathirage is now one of only four javelin throwers to surpass the 92-meter mark twice, joining elite athletes like Jan Zelezny and Johannes Vetter.

Neeraj Chopra has only crossed the 90-meter mark once this season, achieving 90.23 meters in Doha. Pathirage, despite a minor headache before the competition, expressed gratitude to the crowd for their support and reflected on his impressive season. He looks forward to upcoming events in Brussels and beyond.