Pakistani Athlete Creates History with Olympic Javelin Gold
On Thursday night, Pakistan‘s Arshad Nadeem etched his name in history by claiming gold in the men’s javelin throw at the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris. This remarkable feat saw him set a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters.
India’s Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic champion, settled for silver with a distance of 89.45 meters. This achievement also made him the first Indian athlete to win two medals in a track and field event.
While Chopra’s performance was impressive, Nadeem’s throw proved to be the ultimate climax. Despite Chopra having thrown further in both the qualification round (89.34 meters) and his previous best (89.94 meters), he had to settle for silver.
Nadeem’s triumph marked Pakistan’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in track and field, a remarkable feat for the nation. Prior to this, only two Pakistani athletes had won individual Olympic medals: Mohammad Bashir (bronze in wrestling, 1960) and Hussain Shah (bronze in boxing, 1988).
Despite falling short of retaining his title, Chopra still achieved a significant milestone. His silver medal made him only the fourth Indian athlete to win two individual Olympic medals after independence, joining PV Sindhu, Sushil Kumar, and Manu Bhaker.