Ace athlete Arshad Nadeem set the Olympic record with a 92.97-metre throw in the Paris Olympics 2024 men’s javelin throw final, as Pakistan clinched its first Olympic gold medal in 40 years.

Pakistan had not won a medal at the Games since 1992, and last secured gold in 1984. Both these medals were won by the hockey team.

However, Arshad Nadeem – Pakistan’s star athlete – ended a four-decade wait, beating India’s Neeraj Chopra who finished second.

The 27-year-old from Khanewal was Pakistan’s lone hope in Paris, and he lived up to the expectations with two throws that clocked in at over 90 metres. A record throw in the second round was followed by another one that stood at over 90 metres.

Grenada’s Anderson Peters (87.87m) ended in third place.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation on Arshad Nadeem’s historic achievement.

“This victory will serve as an inspiring example for young athletes, proving that true dedication to a goal inevitably leads to success,” he said in a statement.

Background

Pakistan had sent a contingent of seven athletes to Paris, six of whom had exited in the first rounds of their respective disciplines. Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s flag bearer, was the only one to advance to the final round.

Celebrities cheer for Arshad Nadeem as Pakistan hunts first Olympic medal in 32 years

During the qualification round on Tuesday, Arshad made a 86.59-metre throw, well over the 84-metre qualifying mark, to progress to the final. His throw was the third farthest followed by India’s Neeraj Chopra (89 metres) and Grenada’s Anderson Peters (88 metres).

Pakistan’s best shot

Before the javelin event, Pakistan had won only 10 Olympic medals since the 1948 edition. The country’s last medal came in 1992 when the national hockey team secured a bronze in Barcelona.

All hopes for the Olympic medal had hinged on Arshad Nadeem, a nine-time international medalist and four-time gold medalist. The star athlete finished 5th at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but won silver at the World Championships in 2023 and gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 with a massive 90.18m distance throw.