Rumesh Tharanga finishes eighth in World Athlete of the Year voting

Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage | FILE PHOTO

Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has finished eighth in voting for the 2026 Men’s World Athlete of the Year award, World Athletics announced on November 10, 2026.

He was among 10 male athletes nominated for the award following an outstanding season. The final order was determined through voting by fans, athletes, members of the media and the World Athletics Family, with each group contributing 25% of the vote.

Pathirage won the men’s javelin titles at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Diamond League Final and World Athletics Ultimate Championship in 2026. He also won 13 of the 14 competitions he contested during the season.

One of his biggest achievements was a Sri Lankan national record throw of 92.62 metres at the Rome Diamond League meeting on June 4, 2026. The performance made him the second-best Asian javelin thrower in history.

Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis and Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe were named as the three finalists for the award.

The winner will be announced at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on November 29, 2026.