Kip Keino Classic: Sri Lankan Youngster Strikes Meet Record as Julius Yego Narrowly Misses Podium

Rumesh Pathirage extended his red-hot form in the 2026 season with a sensational performance at the Kip Keino Classic, unleashing a massive 89.28m throw to win the men’s javelin and set a new meet record.

His effort erased the previous mark of 87.35m set by Belgium’s Timothy Herman in 2023, further underlining his emergence as one of the sport’s most exciting talents.

Pathirage proved too strong for a stacked lineup, comfortably finishing ahead of Germany’s Thomas Röhler, the 2016 Olympic champion, who managed 83.33m for second place.

South Africa’s Douw Smit secured third with a season-best 81.19m, while Kenya’s former world champion Julius Yego narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing fourth with 79.87m.

The 23-year-old has been in outstanding form throughout the year, and his Nairobi triumph adds to an already impressive list of performances.

He had earlier set a world-leading mark of 89.37m at the Champions Track and Field meeting on March 28, sending a clear warning to his rivals.

Before that, he opened his season with victory at the Perth Track Classic (83.07m) and followed it up with another win at the Hobart Track Classic (80.12m).

Making his first appearance in Kenya, Pathirage was clearly delighted with both his performance and the reception he received.

“I am happy to be here in Kenya and to throw 89m also,” he said. “My first time in Kenya and breaking the meet record shows me I can do more.”

He also highlighted the favourable conditions in Kenya, suggesting they played a role in his impressive throw.

“Kenya has a good climate for javelin throwers so the performance was good.”

With two throws already beyond 89 metres this season, Pathirage is now firmly focused on breaking into the elite 90m club and qualifying for bigger global competitions.

“I have done two 89m throws so I think that 90m is coming,” he added. “I want to qualify for the Ultimate Championships and this Kip Keino meet was a good competition to get more experience.”

Although he fell short of a podium finish, Julius Yego remained encouraged by his performance, especially his consistency across all attempts.

“It was good, the competition was okay and I am happy to have finished all six throws. I am happy with the performance,” said the 2015 world champion. “Of course I wanted a bigger throw than 79 but that’s the mark that came."

“Competing against the number one (Pathirage) I knew it was going to be tough.”

Pathirage’s commanding display in Nairobi not only secured him victory but also reinforced his growing reputation as a serious contender on the global stage, with even bigger milestones now within reach.