Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem has not only secured a gold medal in the javelin throw at the Paris Olympics but also ended the nation’s three-decade-long wait for a medal at the global games by setting a new Olympic record.
Arshad accomplished this feat with a remarkable throw of 92.97 meters, marking his career-best performance.
During Thursday night’s final at the Stade de France, Arshad’s first throw was declared a foul, but his second throw broke the Olympic record set in 2008.
This was not only Arshad’s personal best but also the sixth-longest javelin throw ever recorded worldwide. Arshad also threw over 90 meters in his final attempt.
This is the second time Arshad has thrown over 90 meters in his career. Previously, he won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 with a throw of 90.18 meters.
In the javelin final, the silver medal was claimed by Arshad’s long-time rival and defending champion, Neeraj Chopra of India, with a throw of 89.45 meters, which was his best of the year. The bronze medal went to Anderson Peters of Grenada.
In the qualification round at the Paris Olympics, Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra was in first place with a throw of 89.34 meters. In comparison, Arshad Nadeem secured the fourth position with a throw of 86.59 meters.
Arshad Nadeem’s Remarks After Winning Gold Medal: “This Time, We Will Celebrate August 14th with a Gold Medal”
After winning the gold medal, Arshad Nadeem spoke to a news channel and said, “Today, I could have thrown even better, but God has given what was destined for me. I will work harder and hope to perform even better than this.”
Arshad mentioned, “Today, God has blessed us with a medal, and the prayers of the entire Pakistani nation were with me.”
When asked how he plans to celebrate this victory, Arshad said, “It is the month of August and this time we will celebrate August 14th with a gold medal.”
Speaking at a press conference alongside the other two athletes after the event, Arshad Nadeem said, “I am very fortunate that the Pakistani nation prayed so much for me.”
Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra on Ind-Pak Sports Competition: “It’s Like India-Pakistan Cricket”
Arshad Nadeem, speaking about the India-Pakistan rivalry in cricket and other sports, said, “Just like during an India-Pakistan cricket match, people from both countries drop everything and sit in front of the TV; the same happens when it’s a match between me and Neeraj Bhai. Everyone stops working and watches us on TV.”
On this occasion, Neeraj Chopra commented, “In our two countries, not many people were aware of javelin. Arshad and I have been competing against each other since 2016. In past competitions, God was with me, but today He was with Arshad, and I am very happy because Arshad works very hard.”
Neeraj also mentioned that javelin has become very popular in both countries, and they hope more and more young people will come forward and take up javelin.
Both Arshad and Neeraj also discussed their surgeries and injuries. Arshad Nadeem said, “My technique has improved from before, and we are working on it further.”
