Pakistan erupted in celebration late into the night after javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem secured the country’s first ever Olympic track and field medal. Nadeem’s Games record throw of 92.97 meters in Paris earned him the gold medal, igniting a wave of national pride, CNN reports.
Nadeem shattered the Olympic record of 90.57 meters, set by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen at Beijing 2008, with his second throw that almost made 93 meters.
The normally cricket-mad nation stayed up late Thursday night to watch Nadeem clinch Pakistan’s first Olympic medal since the men’s field hockey team won bronze in Barcelona 32 years ago.
“Our brother has won the gold medal and I’ve lost my voice because I’ve been celebrating all night,” his brother Shahid Nadeem told CNN on Friday from the family’s home in Mian Channu, in Pakistan’s Punjab state.
In winning gold, Arshad defeated India’s sporting hero and reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra, who took silver with a throw of 89.45, ahead of Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who threw 88.54 meters for bronze.
Pakistan eagerly awaits the moment Arshad Nadeem, their javelin hero, stands atop the podium in Paris to receive his gold medal. This victory marks the nation’s first Olympic gold since their men’s field hockey team triumphed in Los Angeles in 1984, ushering in a new era of sporting triumph for Pakistan.
Nadeem’s journey to Olympic gold has been marked by consistent improvement. After finishing fifth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 84.62 meters, he secured silver at the 2023 world championships, solidifying his position as a top contender. He also made history as the first Pakistani athlete to reach the final of any track and field event at the Olympic Games.
