Sri Lanka’s javelin champion Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has been nominated for the 2026 Men’s World Athlete of the Year award, following a sensational season on the international athletics circuit.
Pathirage is among 10 nominees announced by World Athletics for the men’s award ahead of the World Athletics Awards, which will be held in Monaco on November 29.
Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won the Ultimate Championship, Diamond League, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games javelin titles during 2026.
He also set a world-leading national record of 92.62 metres and won 13 of his 14 competitions during the season.
According to World Athletics, the 10 men’s nominees were selected by an eight-member panel of statisticians comprising two representatives from World Athletics and one representative from each of the six continental area associations.
The final rankings will be determined through a four-way voting process, with each voting group contributing 25% of the overall vote.
The groups comprise World Athletics fans, athletes who competed in World Athletics Series events during 2026, accredited media and content creators, and the wider World Athletics Family.
The six finalists, three in each category, will be announced on November 10 and 11. The finalists will then be invited to Monaco for the World Athletics Awards, where the men’s and women’s World Athlete of the Year winners will be announced on November 29.
Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage is the first Sri Lankan athlete named among the 2026 nominees for the prestigious World Athlete of the Year honours.
