PARIS – Pakistan start athlete Arshad Nadeem revived the hopes for a gold medal as he earned direct qualification to the final round of the javelin throw competition at Paris Olympics.
The group B player was required to make a minimum throw of 84 meters to secure spot in the final round. However, Arshad Nadeem made a throw of 86.59 meters on his first attempt to qualify for the next round.
The Pakistan player will now be in action in the medal round on August 8 (Thursday).
This is the second time Arshad Nadeem has reached the final at the Olympics as he finished at fifth place in the Tokyo Olympics.
India’s Neeraj Chopra, who was also in Group B, has qualified for the javelin throw final by throwing 89.34 meters.
Arshad’s journey is notable for his rise from a modest background in Khanewal, supported by his family despite financial hardships.
The 27-year-old is first Pakistani to reach finals in both Olympics and the World Athletics Championships. He set Commonwealth Games record with throw of 90.18 meters in 2022 and won silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, marking Pakistan’s first medal at the event.
He pursued cricket before focusing on javelin throw, but his talent was discovered by coach Rasheed Ahmad Saqi, and he has since achieved notable success, including gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and the Islamic Solidarity Games.
Despite injuries and limited resources, Nadeem has continued to excel, earning his place at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
