Arshad Nadeem, who made history by ending Pakistan’s 32-year medal drought, received his gold medal on Friday for winning the men’s javelin throw with an impressive throw of 92.97 meters during a ceremony in Paris.
The medal ceremony took place at Champions Park, near the iconic Eiffel Tower in the French capital.
During the ceremony, Arshad became emotional as Pakistan’s flag was hoisted and the national anthem played in the background.
The 27-year-old javelin star became the first-ever individual athlete from Pakistan to win an Olympic gold medal. He was the only competitor to surpass the 90-meter mark twice at the Paris Olympics, with his final throw reaching 91.79 meters.
In addition to Arshad, all athletes who won medals on the 13th day of the world’s biggest sporting event received their awards during the ceremony.
Arshad had made history the previous day by setting a new Olympic record with his 92.97-meter throw in the second round. This record-breaking performance secured his victory as his competitors lagged behind.
He broke the previous record held by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen, who set it at the 2008 Beijing Games.
India’s Neeraj Chopra, the defending gold medalist, secured the silver medal with his season-best throw of 89.45 meters.
Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada claimed the bronze medal with a fourth-round throw of 88.54 meters, surpassing Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch. Peters had previously won gold at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships.
Arshad’s achievement also marked Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in any discipline in 40 years. The country had previously won gold medals only in hockey, with the last one being at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The last time Pakistan won any Olympic medal was 32 years ago, in 1992, when the national hockey team clinched bronze by defeating the Netherlands 4-3 at the Barcelona Olympics.
In an exclusive conversation with Geo News earlier today, Arshad said, “It was my day. I could have thrown it even farther.”
He attributed his victory to being “in the rhythm” and feeling “hopeful” about winning the gold based on the distance he achieved.
Arshad also expressed his desire to celebrate Pakistan’s Independence Day (August 14) with his medal.
