Pathirage’s recent form
The javelin thrower’s form has made him one of the athletes to watch out for at the Asian Games. He is the favourite to clinch the gold at the continental event after Neeraj Chopra pulled out due to an injury. With Chopra currently sidelined by injury and Arshad Nadeem facing questions over his recent form, Pathirage is set to arrive in Aichi-Nagoya among the leading candidates for the men’s javelin title.
Recently, Pathirage produced a 91.09m effort in Budapest, marking his third throw beyond 90m this season and underlining the consistency of his breakthrough campaign.
“My first throw was in the 75m range,” Rumesh told Olympics.com.
“I was under a lot of pressure after that because, after the first few throws, low-scoring competitors get eliminated. Ultimately, I was able to secure the trophy I hoped for,” he added.
His biggest victory before Budapest came at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July, where he defeated defending champion Neeraj Chopra to claim the gold medal. He followed that performance by winning the Diamond League Final in Brussels earlier this month.
Source: HT – Sports
