Arshad Nadeem, at 27 years old, has etched his name into history by becoming the first Pakistani individual athlete to win an Olympic gold medal. At the Paris Olympics, Nadeem achieved the remarkable feat of surpassing the 90-meter mark twice, with his final throw reaching 91.79 meters.
On the 13th day of the Games, all medalists received their awards during the ceremony. Nadeem set a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters in the second round, outshining the competition and breaking the previous record of 91.59 meters set by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India earned the silver medal with a season-best throw of 89.45 meters. This win also marks the first Olympic gold for Pakistan in any sport in 40 years. The last gold medal for Pakistan came in hockey at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Pakistan’s last Olympic medal was won 32 years ago, when the national hockey team claimed bronze with a 4-3 victory over the Netherlands at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
In an exclusive interview with Geo News, Nadeem expressed confidence in his performance, saying, “It was my day. I could have thrown it at a greater distance.” He attributed his success to being “in the rhythm” and “hopeful” of securing the gold medal. Nadeem also shared his desire to celebrate the upcoming Independence Day (August 14) with his medal.
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