T&T’s two-time Olympic medallist and World champion Keshorn Walcott missed out on a second successive podium finish at the Wanda Diamond League, placing fourth in the men’s javelin final at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome, Italy, Thursday.
This year’s top two javelin throwers–world leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage of Sri Lanka and Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who switched that order at the Rabat edition in Morocco where Peters won by just 11 centimetres–were once again in the hunt for medals. They were joined in Rome by Walcott, Kenya’s Julius Yego and Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic.
When the dust settled, it was 23-year-old, two-time Asian throwing champion Pathirage who claimed victory for the second time this season. He threw a season-best of 92.62 metres, finishing well clear of 28-year-old Peters’ 83.91m.
Meanwhile, USA’s Curtis Thompson narrowly edged out the 33-year-old Walcott, who threw a season-best of 83.45m, to take the bronze medal. Germany’s Thomas Röhler (82.89m) and Poland’s Dawid Wegner (80.47m) were the only other competitors to clear the 80m mark.
Last week at the Wanda Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco, Walcott secured a bronze medal with a best attempt of 82.52m. At that event, two-time World champion Peters took gold with 86.08m, while Pathirage claimed the silver medal with 85.97m.
