New Delhi: Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav endured a difficult start to his Diamond League career, finishing eighth in a high-quality field at the Rome leg of the prestigious athletics series on Thursday.
The 26-year-old managed a best throw of 79.18 metres, well below his personal best of 86.27 metres that helped him secure a fourth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. His season-best effort before arriving in Rome stood at 81.95 metres, recorded during the Indian Athletics Series in New Delhi earlier this year.
Yadav opened his competition with a foul throw and struggled to build momentum thereafter. His subsequent attempts measured 79.18m, 77.02m, 76.62m and 75.54m, leaving him in eighth position after five rounds. Since only the top three competitors after the fifth round qualify for a sixth and final attempt, his campaign ended there.
The competition was dominated by Sri Lankan star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who produced a sensational performance to claim his first Diamond League title. Pathirage launched the javelin to 92.62 metres with his second attempt, registering the first 90 metre throw of his career and the second-longest throw ever recorded by an Asian athlete.
His remarkable effort fell just short of Arshad Nadeem’s Olympic gold medal-winning mark of 92.97 metres but surpassed the previous Asian achievements of Chao-Tsun Cheng and India’s Neeraj Chopra, whose personal best stands at 90.23 metres.
Pathirage became only the fourth Asian athlete and the 28th javelin thrower globally to cross the coveted 90 metre barrier. The victory capped a breakthrough season for the Sri Lankan, who has consistently impressed on the international circuit in recent months.
Behind Pathirage, Anderson Peters finished second with a throw of 83.91 metres, while American athlete Curtis Thompson secured third place with 83.89 metres.
For Yadav, the Rome meet marked his first international appearance since his impressive showing at last year’s World Championships. While the result fell short of expectations, the experience of competing against some of the world’s best throwers is expected to aid his development as he prepares for future international competitions.
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