Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga has risen to second place in the latest World Athletics rankings, the highest position ever achieved by a Sri Lankan athlete in a track and field event.

According to the updated rankings, Tharanga has accumulated 1,333 points on the back of his recent international form. Germany’s Julian Weber remains world No. 1 with 1,360 points, with reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra of India in fifth place and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem at tenth.

The 23-year-old has moved past several of the discipline’s biggest names following back-to-back performances in Europe. He won gold at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic with a throw of 86.57 metres on Tuesday, days after a Rome Diamond League outing earlier in June where he produced a 92.62-metre throw that set a Sri Lankan national record, became the year’s longest mark in the world, and ranks as the eighth-best javelin throw in history.

The Rome effort also stood as the second-best ever thrown by an Asian athlete and made Tharanga the first man to clear 90 metres in the 2026 season. The rapid climb up the rankings table follows his elevation to world No. 3 and Asia’s No. 1 with 1,324 points on June 10, with the points haul since lifting him a further place.

“His rise to World No. 2 is the highest-ever world ranking achieved by a Sri Lankan athlete in a specific athletics event,” Newswire reported. Tharanga is now seen as a strong medal contender at the upcoming major championships and a leading hope for Sri Lanka’s first global athletics podium.

Update — June 19: Sri Lanka Embassy in Doha hosts Tharanga ahead of Wanda Diamond League

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Qatar Sithara Khan hosted Tharanga at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Doha on Thursday, ahead of his appearance in the Wanda Diamond League at the Qatar Sports Club on Friday evening, Newswire reported. The Ambassador congratulated him on his recent results and conveyed best wishes for the 8 pm Doha event, while commending his stated ambition of securing an Olympic medal for Sri Lanka at the 2028 Games. The reception was attended by his coaches and father, alongside representatives of the Sri Lanka Coordinating Committee, the Sri Lanka Benevolent Fund, the Sri Lanka Business and Professional Council, and embassy staff.

Sources