With his best 87.82-meter throw, star javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem became the first Pakistani to win a medal at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday. Neeraj Chopra of India won the gold medal with an 88.17-meter throw. After starting the game poorly with a throw of 74.80 metres, Nadeem came back with a throw of 82.81 metres on his second attempt. His season-best third throw achieved 87.82 metres, the Pakistani thrower’s finest breakthrough.
Arshad Nadeem wins first World Athletics Championship silver medal for Pakistan
The Mian-Channu-born Olympian’s fifth try failed to surpass 80 metres, but his sixth and final attempt was 81.86. Neeraj Chopra (C), Arshad Nadeem (L), and Jakub Vadlejch (R) celebrate during the podium ceremony for the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on August 27, 2023. —AFP Neeraj Chopra (C), Arshad Nadeem (L), and Jakub Vadlejch (R) celebrate during the podium ceremony for the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on August 27, 2023.
—AFP The medal was validated when Germany’s Julian Weber’s final throw fell short of 80m, confirming the athlete’s medal. Nadeem will be in the final two when Jakub Vadlejch fouled in his final try. The 26-year-old’s fourth try was 87.12m, much below his expectations. Nadeem qualified for the World Athletics Championship final with an 86.79-meter throw on Saturday.
The Olympic standard was 85.50m, which Nadeem cleared. The new success comes after Nadeem’s fifth-place result in the Tokyo Olympics, which revolutionised his life and personality. Nadeem finished fifth in the US World Championship last year. After that, he set a Commonwealth Games record with a 90.18-meter throw in Birmingham.
The great athlete had elbow and left knee surgery in London, took time to recover, and returned to competition in the 34th National Games in Quetta in May. In this event, his right knee was damaged, forcing him to miss the Bangkok Asian Championship.
