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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s javelin ace Arshad Nadeem on Wednesday won the gold medal in the men&rsquo;s javelin throw in the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in Riyadh.&nbsp; Reigning Olympic champion Nadeem logged a best throw of 83.05 meters out of his six attempts, with the second-highest throw being 82.48, successfully defending his title in a seven-man field. Nadeem was not the only one to bag a medal for the country as Muhammad Yasir got the silver for his best of 76.04 meters, defeating Nigeria&rsquo;s Samuel Adams Kure, who finished his six with the best of 76.01 meters. Kure looked threatening from the beginning as he set par with Pakistan&rsquo;s number two Yasir before the Nigerian achieved his best in the second last attempt. However, Yasir eked out a margin of 0.03 meters in his previous effort, helping Pakistan finish with silver and gold at the games.&nbsp; Arshad was well clear of the competition as the Olympian&rsquo;s throw led the event comfortably from his second attempt. Baring his fifth attempt, a foul sequence, Arshad set the bar in all of his throws, finishing above everyone in each effort.&nbsp; Arshad had also bagged the top spot at the last edition in Turkiye, setting a new record of 88.55 meters for the Games.&nbsp; Before that, he had also won bronze at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku.&emsp;However, it has not been all smooth sailing for the javelin ace as he bowed out of medal contention at the World Athletics Championships in September. Nadeem, who entered the competition recovering from a calf injury, finished outside the top eight in the men&rsquo;s javelin final with a best throw of 82.75 meters.

Athletics

Reigning Olympic champion Nadeem logs best throw of 83.05 meters to successfully defend his title in a seven-man field; Yasir bags silver for his best of 76.04 meters, defeating Nigeria’s Samuel Adams Kure.

ISG 2025: Arshad, Yasir lead Pakistan to javelin gold, silver

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s javelin ace Arshad Nadeem bowed out of medal contention at the World Athletics Championships, finishing outside the top eight in the men&rsquo;s javelin final with a best throw of 82.75 meters.&nbsp;Nadeem, who entered the competition recovering from a calf injury, opened with a solid 82.73m. However, his second attempt was ruled a no-throw, and his third throw slightly improved to 82.75m, still short of the 84.50m cutoff required to qualify for the final three rounds of throws. Only the top eight athletes progress to the final six throws.&nbsp;Despite a valiant effort, Nadeem&#39;s performance was not enough to keep pace with the event&rsquo;s leading contenders.&nbsp;The javelin final featured several standout moments. Defending world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada set the tone early with a strong 84.59m throw. The USA&rsquo;s Curtis Thompson was the first to cross the 85m mark, briefly taking the lead.&nbsp;The biggest surprise came from India&rsquo;s Sachin Yadav, who stunned the field with a massive 86.27m throw, pushing him into second place. Kenya&rsquo;s Julius Yego, a former world champion, impressed with a comeback throw of 85.54m, landing him among the top five.&nbsp;Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra managed a best of 84.03m in his second attempt and was placed sixth as the field tightened.&nbsp;Although Arshad Nadeem&rsquo;s campaign ended earlier than expected, his participation while recovering from injury underscores his determination and continued status as Pakistan&rsquo;s premier field athlete.&nbsp;Nadeem, who hails from the eastern district of Khanewal in Pakistan, is one of nine siblings in a modest household. The son of a daily-wage laborer, he showed athletic promise from a young age, excelling in various school sports before specializing in javelin.&nbsp;A national sporting icon, Nadeem previously claimed silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships and won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with a remarkable throw of 90.18 meters, a personal and national best.

Asia

Pakistan's javelin star fails to finish in the top eight with throws of 82.73m and 82.75m.

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem falls short in World Athletics javelin final

<div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;" id="isPasted">ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s javelin star Arshad Nadeem said he&rsquo;s focused on &ldquo;strategy and run-up&rdquo; as he prepares for Thursday&rsquo;s javelin final at the World Athletics Championships, having narrowly qualified after a dramatic turnaround.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&ldquo;In my mind, I knew I would qualify. And God willing, I did,&rdquo; the 28-year-old said. He landed a powerful third and final throw of 85.28 meters, well beyond the 84.50m qualifying mark. This followed two below-par attempts that sent shockwaves through the Tokyo National Stadium.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">With the qualification scare behind him, Nadeem sets his sights on the final, not with pressure, but with purpose.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;"> </div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&ldquo;Tomorrow is the final, I&rsquo;ll need to be strategic and think about it going in,&rdquo; he told World Athletics. &ldquo;I knew I had to take a longer run-up; I opened my mind to that.&rdquo;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;"> </div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">Having recently undergone surgery for a calf injury, Nadeem admitted his lack of training was a factor in his rocky start on Wednesday. His first two throws were 76.99m and 74.17m. These were among his worst in years and sparked concern in the stands and back home in Pakistan.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t had much practice with my run-ups since my surgery,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;I was a bit confused about how much of a run-up to take, so I was just setting that up. Thanks to God, I qualified on the third attempt.&rdquo;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">As Pakistan&rsquo;s sole representative at the championship and its leading medal hope, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion carries immense national expectations. But in typical Arshad fashion, he remained grounded.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&ldquo;The goal tomorrow is to do my best. Whatever else God has written for me is what shall happen,&rdquo; he said.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;">Nadeem, who won silver at last year&rsquo;s World Championships and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, is no stranger to high-pressure situations. However, the Tokyo heat, recent rehabilitation, and stiff competition mean Thursday&rsquo;s final will test not just his strength, but also his composure and preparation.</div>

Javelin throw, Arshad Nadeem, World Athletics Championship

Pakistan's javelin star achieved an 85.28m throw to qualify for the World Athletics Championships final, scheduled for today.

Articles tagged with "javelin throw final"

ISG 2025: Arshad, Yasir lead Pakistan to javelin gold, silver

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem falls short in World Athletics javelin final

‘Strategy, run-up’ in focus in World Athletics Championships javelin final: Arshad Nadeem