Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage has set his sights on winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal after claiming the men’s javelin title at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship with a massive 91.09-metre throw.
Speaking after his triumph, the 23-year-old said the 2028 Olympic Games remained his biggest target, while revealing that challenging the world record would be the ultimate goal of his javelin career.
The men’s javelin world record stands at 98.48 metres, set by Czech Republic legend Jan Železný in 1996
Pathirage admitted he was concerned after a relatively low opening throw, particularly with strong Canadian and German competitors in the field and the possibility of elimination.
However, he responded strongly in his subsequent attempts, going beyond the 90-metre mark and eventually producing 91.09 metres to secure the title.
The victory also earned Pathirage USD 150,000 in prize money, the biggest financial reward of his career.
Asked what the prize money meant to him, Pathirage said he had not been thinking about the money going into the competition and was more focused on winning the trophy. While delighted with the record payday, he said lifting the trophy meant more to him.
Pathirage said he first picked up a javelin in 2017 and had recorded seasonal and personal bests almost every year since.
He had initially expected to break the 90-metre barrier closer to the 2028 Olympics but achieved the milestone ahead of schedule in 2026.
Having now repeatedly crossed 90 metres, Pathirage said challenging the world record would eventually become his final major goal.
The Sri Lankan also revealed that his best throw in training has been around 91 metres.
Pathirage, who was previously a talented cricketer and fast bowler, was also asked whether he regretted not continuing with cricket, particularly with the sport returning to the Olympics in 2028.
He said his immediate ambition was to win an Olympic gold medal for Sri Lanka, which has won only two Olympic medals in its history, both silver.
Pathirage indicated that after achieving his Olympic ambition, he could consider changing careers, leaving open the possibility of a future return to cricket.
He said his fast-bowling background had some similarities to javelin in terms of speed and movement, although the techniques were different.
With a world title, a USD 150,000 payday and the 90-metre barrier already conquered, Pathirage’s attention is now firmly on his biggest ambition — delivering Sri Lanka its first Olympic gold medal. (Newswire)