Paris 2024 Olympics: Arshad Nadeem's three best throws ft. Commonwealth Games 2022
Arshad Nadeem, born January 2, 1997, is a Pakistani javelin thrower. He is the Pakistan Water & Power Development Authority's (WAPDA) representative in domestic competition. He is the first competitor from Pakistan to make it to the final of an Olympic or World Athletics Championship track and field event.
With a throw of 90.18 meters at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Arshad Nadeem broke both the national and the Commonwealth Games records and became the first athlete from South Asia to ever clear the 90-meter mark. He won a silver medal in the 2023 World Athletics Championships, making history as the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal in the sport.
Competing alongside archrival Neeraj Chopra, who has achieved everything there is to achieve in the competition, would certainly motivate Nadeem. Arshad has one edge over the Olympic Gold medalist, however: the personal best throw. This should give him a confidence boost at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Let’s take a look at his three best throws so far.
World Championships 2023 - 87.82 metres
Thanks to a season-best throw of 87.82 meters, Arshad moved to second place in the javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships 2023, only behind India's Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra.
Arshad Nadeem attempted to bring in those 35 centimeters during the following three throws. Unfortunately, he could not produce the 90.18-meter throw that won him the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games the previous year.
Even so, Arshad Nadeem made history in the capital of Hungary by placing second in the biannual track and field competition, earning Pakistan's first medal, and proving he could break Pakistan's lengthy Olympic medal drought in the Paris Games.
Given that this was his first appearance abroad in a year, his accomplishment is all the more impressive. Even though he had a less-than-ideal start, he saved his best for the final, as seen by his 86.79-meter throw in qualifying on Friday.
Islamic Solidarity Games 2022 - 88.55 metres
On August 12, 2022, Arshad Nadeem made a record-breaking throw at the Islamic Solidarity Games held in Konya, Turkey. Starting off on the wrong foot, his first throw was not legal, but he returned exceedingly well with a throw of 79.40 meters.
His best throw of the day came during his third attempt when he threw a mammoth 88.55 meters, which is also the event record. Such was his ease in winning the gold on a day when all the throws by the Pakistani athlete were far better than those by the second-positioned athlete.
Commonwealth Games 2022 - 90.18 metres
Arshad Nadeem defied all expectations by winning the javelin throw final at Alexander Stadium in August 2022 at the Commonwealth Games with a throw of 90.18 meters. He achieved this feat despite being without his coach and having a heavily taped throwing elbow from an injury.
With a field that included former Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, past Commonwealth and world champion Julius Yego, and world champion Anderson Peters, Arshad Nadeeme won after hitting that distance with his fifth throw.
That throw resulted in Pakistan winning its first gold medal in the javelin and its first athletics medal at the Games since 1966. It also improved upon Mohammad Nawaz's silver from the first quadrennial multi-sport event in 1954 and Jalal Khan's second-place finish from 1958. It remains the best throw in Arshad’s career.