In the men’s javelin throw final at the Olympics in Paris, Arshad Nadeem set the benchmark with a breathtaking throw of 92.97 meters on his second attempt.
Nadeem beat Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen’s Olympic record of 90.57 meters which was achieved during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in addition to finishing first in the men’s javelin final. On the list of all-time greatest javelin throws, his throw came in sixth place.
On defeating the reigning champion
Reigning Olympic and world champion Chopr had breezed into the final in just one attempt measuring 89.34m. This record is not only the best throw in the qualification round but was also the second highest of the year.
Both Nadeem and Chopra remained in the top two positions until the end. Nadeem would cross the 90-meter mark twice in six tries, with his final try measuring 91.79 meters. Chopra was unable to accomplish so.
First gold medal for Pakistan
Nadeem became the first athlete from Pakistan to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics.
Before the athlete’s historic win, the only two Pakistanis to obtain individual medals at the Olympics were wrestler Muhammad Bashir (Rome, 1960) and boxer Hussain Shah (Seoul, 1988). Both medals were bronze.
Moreover, the men’s hockey team has won eight medals overall for Pakistan; three of those are gold, two are silver, and two are bronze. In track and field, it is the second time a South Asian has placed on the podium following Neeraj’s incredible performances in Tokyo 2020.