PARIS:
"I thought I could achieve a 95m throw," exclaimed Arshad Nadeem, as if his remarkable 92.97m throw at the Paris Olympics javelin final on Thursday night wasn't already impressive enough.
This extraordinary performance not only ended a 32-year Olympic medal drought for Pakistan but also made Arshad the first individual from his country to win an Olympic gold medal.
His 92.72m throw on the second attempt was nothing short of iconic, from the moment he started his run-up to when the javelin soared to a record-breaking distance. Arshad's friend and rival, Neeraj, hailed it as the 'greatest competition in history,' despite Neeraj only successfully landing one throw—an 89.45m attempt that earned him the silver medal.
Reflecting on the difference between his performance in Paris and his earlier outing at the Diamond League in July, where he threw 84.21 meters, Arshad credited his success to hard work. "I want to congratulate the entire Pakistani nation," he said in the post-event press conference. "I feel incredibly fortunate to have had so many people praying for me and supporting me."
Arshad explained that his earlier performance was affected by caution due to a recent knee surgery. "In the Diamond League, I was very cautious because of my knee, but that experience gave me hope and encouraged me to push harder in Paris," he said.
After securing Olympic qualification in the first round, Arshad was determined to give his best in the final. He acknowledged that his 88.72m throw in the final round could have reached nearly 95m if he hadn't held back.
Arshad, who appeared relaxed and confident, expressed his gratitude for the support he received from his coach Salman Iqbal Butt, Neeraj, and Dr. Ali Sher Bajwa, who helped him recover from his injuries. "I changed my technique, which improved my throw," he added.
Witnessing Arshad's historic achievement at Stade de France was surreal, especially considering he was not fully fit in mid-June due to a strain injury just before his planned trip to Finland and another earlier this year, following knee surgery in January. He resumed training in February.
In the Olympics final, Arshad appeared more confident and driven. After a foul on his first attempt, he became unstoppable. He could have opted not to throw after his second attempt of 92.79m, but he continued, achieving 88.72m on his third, 79.40m on his fourth, 84.87m on his fifth, and finishing with a powerful 91.79m throw, followed by a prostration to express his gratitude to Allah.
The stadium fell silent before each of Arshad's throws, and when the competition concluded, he looked relieved. Emotions finally surfaced when he hugged his coach and team, followed by a victory lap where he rang the giant bell at the track's end.
None of the other competitors could match Arshad that night, with only Neeraj coming close. The real battle was for third place, with Grenada's Anderson Peters securing it with an 88.54m throw, just ahead of Czech athlete Jakub Vadlejch's 88.50m.
After the event, the athletes underwent dope testing, staying in the stadium until the early hours. The medal ceremony for the javelin throw final was scheduled for Friday evening, after which Arshad was honored at a ceremony at the Pakistan Embassy in Paris.
A father of three, Arshad's journey to this stage has been one of sheer determination and resilience. Last year, he made history as the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletic Championships, finishing second to Neeraj in Budapest—a result of steady progress after narrowly missing the podium in Eugene, Oregon, the previous year.
Arshad also made waves at the Commonwealth Games, breaking the 90m barrier and setting his sights on winning the world championship and breaking records, all while dealing with injuries. He finally received treatment for his second knee injury in December, after his left knee was severely affected.
Recalling his early days in sports, Arshad shared that he initially aspired to become a professional cricketer and tried his hand at various sports, from sprints to hammer throw, long jump, shotput, kabaddi, and football, before settling on javelin throw. He credited his success to his mentors, Rasheed Ahmed Saqi, Fiaz Bokhari, and Terseus Liebenberg, with Salman Butt taking over as coach after the Tokyo Olympics.
