Arshad Nadeem secures historic gold for Pakistan in Paris Olympics, ends 40-year wait

Paris: Pakistan's javelin star, Arshad Nadeem, made history on Thursday by winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, marking Pakistan's first Olympic gold in 40 years.

Nadeem achieved this remarkable feat with a record-breaking 92.97-meter throw, shattering the previous Olympic record.

This is Pakistan's first-ever individual gold medal in the Olympics, their maiden gold in athletics, and the first gold in any discipline in 40 years.

Pakistan has finally ended a 32-year Olympic medal drought. The last time Pakistan stood on the Olympic podium was in 1992, when the national hockey team secured a bronze by defeating the Netherlands 4-3 at the Barcelona Olympics.

Trailing behind Nadeem on the podium was his rival and reigning champion, Neeraj Chopra, who had a shaky start with a foul throw on his first attempt but managed to secure a silver medal with an 89.45-meter throw on his second try.\

Grenada's Anderson Peters claimed the bronze, earning his first-ever Olympic medal with an 88.54-meter throw.

Nadeem's historic throw not only brought Pakistan its first individual gold medal but also marked the country's first track and field medal, making him the second South Asian to reach the podium in this category.