Sri Lankan Pathirage pushes Neeraj Chopra out of Asia's all-time top three

If there was a podium for the career-best efforts by male Javelin throwers in Asia, India's two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra wouldn't feature on it.

Chopra's personal best of 90.23 metres has slipped to the fourth position in Asia's all-time list after Sri Lankan Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage breached the 90 metre-mark for the first time in his career to win the Diamond League in Rome.

The 23-year-old Sri Lankan threw a massive 92.62 metres on his second attempt to destroy a 10-man field. India's rising thrower Sachin Yadav, who was making his Diamond League debut, finished eighth with a best of 79.18 m. Yadav had set a personal best of 86.27 m to finish fourth in last year's Tokyo World Championships.

Pathirage's title-winning effort fell just short of Pakistani Arshad Nadeem's 92.97-metre throw that gave him the Paris Olympics gold. Chinese Taipei's Chao-Tsun Cheng's personal best of 91.36 metres is third in the Asian list.

Chopra did not compete in the event in Rome. He moved to Bienne, Switzerland, after a training stint in Turkiye. The next Diamond League with men's javelin throw in the roster will take place in Doha, Qatar, on June 19.