Javelin star Arshad Nadeem ends Pakistan’s 40-year wait for Olympic gold

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Javelin star Arshad Nadeem ends Pakistan’s 40-year wait for Olympic gold​

Anushe Engineer
August 8, 2024

Arshad Nadeem at the Paris Olympics 2024 men’s javelin final at Stade de France, France, Paris, Aug 8. — Reuters

Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan celebrates with his national flag after winning gold as he stands next to a screen displaying his new Olympic record

Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record on Thursday and ended Pakistan’s 32-year wait for success at the Games by clinching the coveted gold medal in the men’s javelin final in Paris.

The Mian Channu-born was slow off the blocks, registering a no-throw on his first attempt of the night but shocked everyone on his second attempt, with a monstrous 92.97-m throw, which the rest of the field could not even come close for the rest of the competition.

Behind Nadeem on the podium was rival and reigning champion Neeraj Chopra, who also had a foul throw on his first attempt before eventually settling for a silver medal finish with an 89.45m throw on his second attempt.

Grenada’s Anderson Peters took home bronze, his first ever Olympic medal, with an 88.54m throw.

Nadeem’s throw was Pakistan’s first individual gold medal, first track and field medal and the second time a South Asian has had a podium finish in track and field.

It also shattered the previous Olympic record of 90.57m, set by the Netherlands’ Andreas Thorkildsen at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The throw now stands as the sixth longest throw ever.

Tonight’s final ignited Pakistan-India rivalry that Nadeem and Chopra have kept alive over the years. Just last year, the duo went 1-2 as Chopra bagged gold and Nadeem took home silver at the World Athletics Championship

 

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At the opening ceremony of the Olympics on July 26 in Paris, Nadeem carried the Pakistan flag along with swimmer Jehanara Nabi.

“This is something straight out of a dream to be able to carry your country’s flag at the Olympics and a huge honour. But this is not the only thing for me. My main objective is to see my country’s flag being raised and the anthem being played if I get the gold,” Nadeem told Al Jazeera about a week before the Olympics began.

Among his competitors will be India’s Chopra, a now 27-year-old who has won seven gold medals. When they competed against one another at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, people on social media fanned the flames of the traditional rivalry between the South Asian countries and criticised Nadeem for being distracted and not winning a medal while Chopra won gold.

But Nadeem speaks fondly of his rival from India.

“Neeraj and I are on very good terms. Whenever we are abroad in training or an event, we always talk to each other and stay in touch, but when it comes to competition, then you only think of yourself,” the athlete explained. “Look, India is our neighbour. People on both sides say a lot of things about each other’s country, but this is what sports teaches us – to be friendly and that we don’t have to focus on our differences.”

He continued: “I know I have great rivals like Chopra or Peters or others, but ultimately, I compete against myself.”