Sri Lanka’s hopes for a breakthrough at the World Athletics Championships 2025 rest on the shoulders of Sumedha Ranasinghe and Rumesh Tharanga, who will compete in the men’s javelin qualification rounds tomorrow (17) at the Japan National Stadium.
This marks Sri Lanka’s most promising javelin campaign at a global championship since 2007. Both athletes will be aiming to secure a spot in tomorrow’s final (17), with the automatic qualification mark set at 84.50m, or a place among the top 12 throwers.
Ranasinghe, 34, will compete in Group A at 3:40 PM Sri Lanka time, while Tharanga, 22, takes the field in Group B at 5:15 PM.
Tharanga, coached by Tony Prasanna, has enjoyed a meteoric rise in 2025. His throw of 86.50m last month not only secured his ticket to Tokyo but also placed him 10th in the world rankings. With nine throws over 82m this season, Tharanga enters the championship in peak form — a rare consistency for a Sri Lankan athlete.
Ranasinghe, guided by Pradeep Nishantha, made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics by becoming the first Sri Lankan to surpass the 80m mark, setting a national record of 83.03m. Though his form dipped in recent years, he remained a steady performer, earning medals at the South Asian Games and representing Sri Lanka at multiple global events.
The rivalry between the two intensified in early 2025 when Tharanga broke Ranasinghe’s long-standing record with a throw of 85.41m in Australia. Ranasinghe responded just a week later, reclaiming the record with 85.78m at the Sri Lanka Open Stage 2, surpassing the direct qualification mark and securing his place in Tokyo.
Both coaches Prasanna and Nishantha are present in Tokyo to support their athletes as Sri Lanka look to make a mark in the javelin event on the world stage.