Arshad Nadeem delivered one of Pakistan's greatest sporting moments at the Paris 2024 Olympics, hurling the javelin 92.97 metres to claim gold in the men's final and set a new Olympic record. The victory ended Pakistan's 32-year wait for an Olympic medal and gave the country its first-ever individual Olympic gold.
A Dominant Performance in Paris
Nadeem produced the decisive throw on his second attempt at the Stade de France, the only competitor in the final to breach the 90-metre barrier — and he did it twice, adding 91.79m in a later round. His 92.97m effort eclipsed the previous Olympic record of 90.57m set by Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen at the Beijing 2008 Games and stands sixth on the all-time list.
Defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India finished with a silver-medal throw of 89.45m, more than three metres short of Nadeem's best. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada took bronze with 88.54m.
Pakistan's First Individual Olympic Gold
The win is the culmination of decades of drought in Pakistani athletics. Pakistan's last Olympic medal came at Barcelona 1992, and the country had never before won an individual Olympic gold. Nadeem's 92.97m throw also ranked as the world's best javelin distance for 2024.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly congratulated Nadeem, whose performance sparked nationwide celebrations and renewed focus on the long-simmering Pakistan-India athletics rivalry. Nadeem and Chopra have repeatedly pushed each other to new heights, and Paris 2024 was no different.
Historic Numbers
Nadeem's throw not only set an Olympic and Asian record but placed him among the greatest javelin throwers in history. The previous Olympic record had stood for 16 years before being smashed by more than two metres. His performance in Paris confirmed him as the dominant figure in world javelin for 2024 and a landmark name in Pakistani sport.
