Arshad Nadeem’s historic 92.97-meter javelin throw in the final of the Paris Olympics 2024 earned him a gold medal, which was Pakistan's first individual gold.
The javelin thrower's success put an end to Pakistan's 40-year wait for an Olympic gold medal, even though he had long struggled to obtain the facilities, gear, and training needed for the sport.
With this feat, Nadeem defeated his longtime rival Neeraj Chopra of India, who finished second in the competition and was awarded a silver medal. Regardless of the game-rivalry, the two javelin players enjoy a good camaraderie.
The historic throw has put the Pakistani player in sixth place in the list of all-time best javelin throws. Czech Republic’s Jan Zelezny stands on top in the list with the world record of 98.48 metres throw that he accomplished in 1996.
Whereas, the best Olympics throw was 90.57 meters, held by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen in Beijing Olympics 2008.
The current and former sports personalities of Pakistan have showered Nadeem with praise over this historic feat.
Here are messages from some of them:
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