By Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem made history by winning the nation’s first-ever track and field medal at the Olympics, securing gold in the men’s javelin final in Paris.
The 27-year-old athlete dethroned India’s defending champion, Neeraj Chopra, and shattered the Olympic record at the Stade de France on Thursday. Nadeem’s second throw, a remarkable 92.97 meters, set a new Olympic benchmark and was the best throw in the world this year. His celebration after the record-breaking throw marked a triumphant moment in Pakistan’s sporting history.
Chopra, who led the qualifiers and was favored to win, struggled to find his rhythm. His best throw of 89.45 meters was his only valid attempt, as he fouled on his five other tries.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters secured the bronze with a throw of 88.54 meters, a redemptive achievement for the two-time world champion after missing the final at the Tokyo Games three years prior.
But the night truly belonged to the humble man from Mian Channu, a small town in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province. Overcoming a knee injury earlier this year, Nadeem defied the odds and brought home gold despite Pakistan’s limited athletics facilities in a nation obsessed with cricket.
Of Pakistan’s eight previous Olympic medals, six were in men’s hockey, with the remaining two in wrestling and boxing. Nadeem’s gold also ended Pakistan’s 28-year Olympic medal drought; the last medal was won by the men’s hockey team in 1992 when they claimed bronze in Barcelona.
In June, Nadeem had expressed confidence in his fitness and was hopeful of a strong performance in Paris. His historic throw may not have broken the world record—still held by Czechia’s Jan Zelezny at 98.48 meters—but it did set a new Olympic record and brought immense pride to his country.
Pakistan cricketer Fakhar Zaman expressed the nation’s pride in a post on X, while Nadeem’s mentor and former coach, Rasheed Ahmad Saqi, was overcome with emotion after the gold medal was confirmed.
“This is a miracle from God and a gift for the entire nation as we approach our independence day. I’m just so proud of Arshad,” Saqi told Al Jazeera moments after the victory.
Saqi had been confident that Nadeem would win a medal and even predicted it would be gold. “I believed he would break a record, either his own or the Olympic one, and that’s exactly what he did.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also extended his congratulations to Arshad Nadeem for making history for the country.
