| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage |
| Nationality |  Sri Lankan |
| Born | 21 March 2003 Kalutara, Srilanka |
| Alma mater | St. Peter's College, Colombo |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event | Javelin throw |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | 86.50 m NR (2025) |
Rumesh Tharanga (born 21 March 2003) is a Sri Lankan javelin thrower. [1] In 2025, he became the first ever Sri Lankan javelin thrower to qualify for the finals of the World Championships, where he finished seventh. [2]
He is from Kalutara and played as a cricketer in his youth, beginning in 2012, and was measured as bowling at 134 km/h as a teenager whilst playing for St Peter's College, Colombo. His father was a discus and shot-put thrower, and following his guidance started practising the discus before beginning with the javelin throw at St Peter's College in 2017. [3]
After focusing on the javelin throw, he placed 7th in the final of the 2022 World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, with a throw of 69.98 m. [4]
He began to be coached in Australia under Mike and Kelsey Barber at the Queensland Institute of Sport. He won the 2024 Asian Throwing Championships. The following year, he threw 85.41 m at the Perth Track Classic in Australia, in March 2025. [5] He placed 4th at the 2025 Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea in May 2025 with a throw of 83.37 m. [6]
He became Sri Lankan National champion in August 2025 with a throw of 82.40 m in Diyagama. [7] That month, he set a new Sri Lankan national record with a throw of 86.50 m whilst competing at the Indian Open in Bhubaneswar to break the previous best mark set by Sumeda Ranasinghe. [8] He also retained his title at the Asian Throwing Championships in Mokpo, South Korea in August 2025, with a throw of 82.05 m. [9] [10]
At the 2025 World Championships, he finished 12th in the qualification round with a throw of 82.80 m and became the first-ever Sri Lankan javelin thrower to qualify for the finals, where he placed 7th with a throw of 84.38 m. [2]
