Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has spent the past few months being miles ahead of everyone else. Of the 10 competitions he has competed in the eight months of this year, he has won seven, including the Commonwealth Games where he snatched the gold from under the noses of the two Olympic champions, Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem. The Sri Lankan javelin thrower has been in such imperious form in the past eight months that he has produced six of the top seven throws this year, including a personal best of 92.62 metres.

But on Friday night, under overcast skies, Pathirage was almost overhauled by Chopra before eventually winning the Lausanne Diamond League meeting with just nine centimetres separating their best throws. Chopra in fact was leading the javelin throw event after two throws from all of the nine competitors, thanks to a season best throw of 88.05 metres. But Chopra’s stay at the top was short-lived. In the third round of throws, Pathirage produced an event-winning effort of 88.14 metres, a lead which was never even threatened.

“I didn’t realise it was only nine centimetres (apart), it was really close, but I’m happy with the 88-metre throw,” Neeraj said afterwards. “To be honest, it didn’t feel like it went 88 metres because I felt very relaxed. I tried really hard and later focused on my technique. With every competition, I feel that I’m coming back.”

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That is good news for Chopra fans with the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya less than a month away. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who will also be in contention at the Asiad, was slotted to compete at the Lausanne Diamond League but pulled out to focus on being sharp for the Asian Games. Germany’s Julian Weber too did not compete at Lausanne.

Pathirage had won the Commonwealth Games gold recently with only one legal throw all evening. In sharp contrast, at Lausanne, Pathirage breached the 85m mark with four of his throws. In fact, Pathirage bettered himself with each of his first three attempts: throwing 85.99m with his first attempt, 87.06m with his second, and then 88.14m with his third. His fourth throw of the night was a 86.71m heave before he fouled both his remaining throws.

Neeraj Chopra, of India, competes in the javelin during the World Athletics Diamond League athletics meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, Friday, August 21, 2026. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)

Chopra, meanwhile, could only manage one attempt past the 85m mark with his other legal throws of the night measuring 83.54m (1st attempt), 83.72m (third attempt) and 82.15m with his sixth and final attempt of the night.

Even when he produced his season best throw of 88.05 metres on Friday night, there was barely a smile on his face, let alone the trademark two hands in the air, back turned on the javelin celebration.

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At Lausanne, Chopra, Pathirage and Anderson Peters were the only three throwers to breach the 85m mark from the nine men competing.

Chopra spent nine months out of the sport with injury before making a comeback at the Doha Diamond League in June where he had finished fourth.

After the Commonwealth Games silver, Chopra had posted a long emotional post on his social media accounts about finishing second and what it meant for him personally.

“There are throws that travel far, and then there are moments that carry the weight of an entire journey. This one means so much more than the distance. The past 10 months have tested me in ways I never expected. Recovering from multiple injuries, rebuilding my body, finding my rhythm again, and learning to be patient when all I wanted was to compete. I was training every day without knowing if I would even have a season to compete this year. To be back competing at this level feels good,” Chopra had written.

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Now at the Asian Games, the two-time Olympic medallist and two-time World Championship medal winner will be chasing another familiar feeling: the feeling of winning gold.