Rome Diamond League: Lyles Dominates 100m, Pathirage Unleashes 92.62m Javelin Throw

ROME: Olympic champion Noah Lyles scorched to victory in the men’s 100m at the Rome Diamond League meeting on Thursday night in 9.88sec.

The four-time 200m world champion American pushed Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (9.94) into second with Letsile Tebogo (9.95) of Botswana in third.

Italian former Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs came fifth in 9.99sec. Lyles, 28, had won his first race of the season in Tokyo two weeks ago in 9.95sec.

“This season might be different but it doesn’t mean the goal is different, I am not showing anywhere to lose, I am here to win,” said Lyles about a 2026 year with no major tournaments.

“Ten metres before the finish line I knew the race was over and I had already won it. I was thinking about how I was going to celebrate it.”

Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage produced a stunning 92.62m in the javelin to propel himself into eighth on the all-time list in the event. The 23-year-old had already thrown the year’s best distance of 89.37m in March but he still has a few more metres to find to trouble Jan Zelezny’s world record of 98.48m back in May 1996.

Anderson Peters of Grenada came second with 83.91m, just 2cm ahead of American Curtis Thompson in third.

Olympic silver-medallist Julien Alfred upset world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the women’s 200m, clocking 21.93sec.

Alfred of Saint Lucia has posted the fastest 200m time this season with a 21.86sec.

American Jefferson-Wooden, who also won the 100m and 4x100m in Tokyo last year, was racing a 200m for the first time in 2026. She finished second in 22.17 with compatriot Anavia Battle third in 22.39. Agencies

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