Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem qualified for the final of the Olympic javelin throw with an impressive first attempt of 86.59 metres at Stade de France on Tuesday afternoon.
Arshad joined India’s Neeraj Chopra, who recorded the best throw of the qualification with 89.34 metres, to become the second thrower from Group B to qualify automatically for the final.
Grenada’s Peter Anderson also qualified automatically, throwing 88.63 metres in his first attempt.
Athletes who throw 84 metres or more qualify automatically, with the 12 best throwers advancing to the final scheduled for August 8.
From Group A, Germany’s Julian Weber (87.76 metres), Kenya’s Julius Yego (85.97 metres), Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, and Finland’s Toni Keranen (85.27 metres) secured their spots in the final.
Arshad entered the competition just over a month after his first-ever appearance at a Diamond League meet in Paris, where he threw 84.21 metres but did not finish on the podium.
Earlier this year, Arshad expressed his aim to break Pakistan’s 32-year Olympic medal drought. The last medal was won by the hockey team at the Barcelona Games.
Arshad trained primarily in Lahore, with a brief training stint in South Africa under world-renowned coach Terseus Liebenberg.
Nadeem’s journey from a humble background in Mian Channu to the Olympic stage is remarkable, but has been overshadowed by controversy surrounding the actions of the Pakistani contingent.
Despite the challenges, Nadeem remains focused on his goal of winning a medal for Pakistan.
