Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem has made history by clinching the country’s first-ever track and field medal at the Olympics as he claimed gold in the men’s javelin final in Paris.
The 27-year-old dethroned defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India and broke the Olympic record at the Stade de France on Thursday.
Nadeem threw his arms up in celebration after breaking the Olympic record on his second throw that landed at a stunning 92.97 metres – the best in the world this year.
Chopra, comfortably ahead in qualifiers and favourite to win, looked off his best form. His best of 89.45 metres was also his only valid attempt as he fouled on his five other attempts.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters won bronze with 88.54 metres, a redemptive moment for the two-time world champion after he failed to make it to the final at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
However, the night belonged to the humble man from Mian Channu, a small town in the eastern Punjab province, who came back from a knee injury early this year and made history for his country despite the dilapidated athletics facilities in the cricket-mad nation.
Of Pakistan’s eight previous Olympic medals, six came in men’s hockey and one each in men’s wrestling and boxing.
Nadeem’s achievement also marked the first medal by Pakistan for eight Olympics, with the last medal coming in 1992 as the men’s hockey team won bronze in Barcelona, Spain.
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