Sri Lanka’s star javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga, currently ranked No. 1 in the world, has left the country for a demanding international campaign featuring four major global competitions.
Tharanga will begin his tour at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting in Switzerland on August 21, where he is set to face Germany’s Julian Weber, who recently surrendered the world No. 1 ranking to the Sri Lankan.
The Lausanne meeting will mark the first head-to-head clash between the world’s top two javelin throwers. The event will also feature six of the leading athletes in the discipline, setting the stage for a highly competitive contest.
Tharanga returns to international action after winning the men’s javelin gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland. Following a short break after his Commonwealth Games triumph, he has resumed competition with a packed schedule at the highest level.
After Lausanne, Tharanga is scheduled to compete at the Zurich Diamond League meeting in Switzerland on August 27. He will then contest the Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium, on September 5, before completing his tour at the World Athletics Final in Hungary on September 13.
Speaking before his departure, Tharanga said he was determined to compete strongly against the world’s best and return home with another major victory for Sri Lanka.
“There are four major tournaments globally. The world’s top eight athletes, including Julian Weber, who recently achieved a 90-metre mark, will be participating. So, the competition will be fierce. My hope is to bring a victory home to Sri Lanka, just as I have done before.”
With the world’s leading throwers converging on Europe, Tharanga’s upcoming campaign will provide another major test of his growing status as one of the leading forces in international javelin.
