Neighbours and arch-rivals India-Pakistan conquered the world stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Neeraj Chopra bagged the silver Arshad Nadeem broke the Olympic record to win the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw final on Thursday.
Nadeem became his country’s first individual gold at a Summer Games. Before his remarkable victory, Pakistan had never won an individual gold medal at the Olympics.
All of Pakistan’s previous three gold medals came in field hockey, with their team winning gold in 1960, 1968 and 1984.
Only two Pakistanis have won individual medals — both bronze medals bagged by Muhammad Bashir in Men’s freestyle welterweight wrestling in 1960 and boxer Hussain Shah in Men’s middleweight in 1988 in Seoul.
Nadeem ended a 32-year drought for an Olympic medal for Pakistan as the country won its last gold medal in hockey in 1984 in Los Angeles. Since the 1992 Barcelona Games, Pakistan has not won a medal of any kind.
Neeraj on the other hand, who has never lost to Nadeem in their earlier 10 meetings, took the silver with his second-round throw of 89.45m. He had won gold in Tokyo with a throw of 87.58m three years ago.
The 26-year-old reigning World Champion and Diamond League final winner became only the third Indian and the first in track and field to win back-to-back individual Olympic medals. Only wrestler Sushil Kumar (2008 and 2012) and shuttler PV Sindhu (2016 and 2021) have won back-to-back Olympic medals.
Nadeem became the first Asian to breach the 90m mark in javelin throw at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Chopra has never crossed the 90m mark.
On Thursday, Nadeem threw an Olympic record of 92.97 metres for victory, India’s defending champion Neeraj Chopra comfortably ahead in qualifiers and favourite to win, looked off his best form. His best of 89.45 was also his only valid attempt as he fouled on his five other attempts.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters claimed bronze with 88.54m.
Source: msn
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