He did not win a medal or break a national record at last week’s Asian Athletics Championships but with two big throws, javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga has earned the top spot among highest ranked Sri Lankan athletes according to the latest statistics released by World Athletics.

The two big throws produced by the 22-year-old has helped him earn enough ranking points to overtake sprinter Aruna Dharshana who had reigned in that position for more than two years.

The 83.71m and 83.27m throws delivered by Tharanga during the qualifying round and the finals have helped him improve ranking score from 1176 to 1218 during the regional championship. He was placed fourth in the men’s javelin throw won by reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan.

Tharanga who came almost close to achieving the direct qualifying standards for this year’s World Athletics Championship when he cleared 85.41 metres in March is currently ranked 17th in the ‘Road to Tokyo’ rankings which determines the final 36 athletes for the World Championship.

The former St. Peter’s College athlete has to remain in the top 36 in that ranking or clear a distance of 85.50 metres to earn direct qualification for the September event. In the javelin world rankings Tharanga occupies a creditable 16th position, the highest by any Sri Lakan male athlete in any discipline.

National record holder Sumeda Ranasinghe who earned direct qualifying standards for the World Championships javelin recently, finished seventh at the Asian Championship. He is ranked eighth in Asia and 27th in the World Rankings.

The bronze winning performance of Kalinga Kumarage at last week’s Championship has helped him overtake Aruna Dharshana in the 400m.

The 400 metres specialist has climbed up to the fifth position in Asia for the first time this season.

The 45.55 seconds finish in Gumi, earned Kalinga 1142 points while his third place finish at the continental championship secured 130 placing points. Kalinga was in the 13th position in Asian rankings before the Championship started in South Korea.

The 32-year-old sprinter is now the second highest ranked Sri Lankan athlete behind Rumesh Tharanga in any discipline, while Dharshana is third.

Despite not performing up to expectations at the Asian Championships, Aruna Dharshana has managed to remain in the top ten in Asia in the 400 metres. He is now ranked sixth in Asia behind Kalinga in the 400 metres.

by Reemus Fernando ✍️