Sri Lanka, Sept. 18 -- Sri Lanka's javelin sensation Rumesh Tharanga qualified for the finals of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo yesterday, becoming the first Sri Lankan male athlete ever to reach a World Championship final.

The 22-year-old national record holder could not match his recent peak form, but an 82.80m throw in his final attempt earned him the 12th and last spot in the javelin final. Meanwhile, fellow Sri Lankan Sumedha Ranasinghe missed out on a place in the final. His best throw of81.86m placed him 15th overall, just outside the cut. Both he and Rumesh had shown strong form in the lead-up, securing direct qualification to the Championships.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Daily News...