Chicago – August 09, 2024
He may have entered this competition as the underdog, perhaps with a little less of the name recognition of his Indian rival Neeraj Chopra, but Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem wrote his name in the stars in the Stade de France on Thursday night, winning the men’s javelin final to become the first track and field athlete from Pakistan to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.
And he did it with panache, beating his longtime rival and equally longtime friend Chopra, and smashing an Olympic record in the process.
The record of 90.57, held by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen since Bejing 2008, receded into the rear view mirror as Nadeem put body and soul into his second throw, shocked delight rising from the stands when the distance came up: 92.97.
Nadeem threw his arms up in celebration and near disbelief when the record flashed up on the board, confirming that it was the longest throw in the world this year.
In taking gold, the javelin thrower became his country’s first medallist since 1992, when it won a bronze medal in men’s hockey in Barcelona. With his record-breaking throw he became only the fourth athlete to cross the 90m mark in the men’s javelin at the Olympic Games.
