Sri Lankan javelin throwers Rumesh Tharanga and Dilhani Lekamge will compete tomorrow (22 August) at the Asian Throwing Championship in Mokpo, South Korea, marking their final international appearance before the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan next month.
Both athletes—Sri Lanka’s national record holders in men’s and women’s javelin—arrived in Korea two days ago, accompanied by Tharanga’s coach Tony Prasanna.
Tharanga has already secured his spot at the World Championships after setting a new Sri Lanka record of 86.50m earlier this month in India. He will use today’s event as a key warm-up opportunity ahead of the global event.
Meanwhile Paris Olympian Lekamge, with a personal best of 61.57m, has struggled to find top form this season. Ranked 47th in the world, she must break into the top 36 to qualify for Tokyo. The direct qualification standard stands at 64m, making tomorrow’s performance crucial for her chances.
Notably absent from the event is Sumedha Ranasinghe, who has already qualified for the World Championships with a throw of 85.78m. He withdrew from the Korea meet due to a minor injury, despite winning gold at the Army Athletics Championship earlier this week.