[Watch] Arshad Nadeem acknowledges Indian fans with tri-colour flag during his victory lap, poses for pictures
In a viral video posted by an Indian fan on Instagram, Pakistan ace javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem can be seen acknowledging fans with the Indian flag during his victory lap to pose for pictures with them.
The video garnered close to seven million views, receiving huge praise for his heart-winning gesture. Notably, Arshad Nadeem created a new Olympic Record with his throw of 92.97m to secure the gold medal for Pakistan in the Paris Olympics 2024.
Interestingly, this was also Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medal in athletics. Reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra settled for a silver medal after throwing his season’s best throw of 89.45m. Anderson Peters of Grenada bagged the bronze medal with a throw of 88.54m.
“Arshad Nadeem is very humble. And he has a special bond with Neeraj Chopra. One for being from neighbouring countries and the other being contemporaries enjoying healthy competition. Nadeem’s Olympic record is very appreciable,” the Indian fan wrote on Instagram.
“If the first throw favoured because of a gust of a wind, no one can take the last throw from him as even that was an Olympics record. He. And he came to us since we’re carrying an #Indianflag Congratulations to Nadeem and Neeraj. Both performed very well and only one can win. For the first time in the Olympic history, no European had a podium finish,” he concluded.
Arshad Nadeem surpassed the 90m barrier twice in the Paris Olympics 2024 final
After settling for the fifth position at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Arshad Nadeem came out all guns blazing for the Paris Olympics 2024 as his second throw touched 92.97m, creating a new Olympic Record. He became the first Pakistani athlete to qualify for a final in track and field in Tokyo.
Arshad emerged as the first athlete to break into the 90s in the Olympics twice. He finished with another dominant throw of 91.79m. Interestingly, this was also second-best score of the night.
On the other hand, Neeraj Chopra threw his best on his second attempt with 89.45m. However, he couldn’t surpass the 90m barrier as his title defense came to an end.