Arshad Nadeem, the first individual athlete in Pakistan’s history to win a gold medal, was confident of his victory, declaring it was “my day” as he made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Thursday night.
The 27-year-old javelin thrower remarked, “It was my day. I could have thrown it even further.” He credited his win to being “in the rhythm” and felt “hopeful” as he launched the javelin, knowing he had a strong chance at the gold medal.
Nadeem expressed his desire to celebrate Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 14 with his medal in hand.
The javelin star set a new Olympic record with a remarkable 92.97m throw in the second round, securing his victory as competitors lagged behind. This achievement not only etched his name in the annals of the Olympics but also brought home Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in any discipline in 40 years.
Prior to this, Pakistan’s only gold medals came from hockey, with the last one being won at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Nadeem’s throw surpassed the previous Olympic record held by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen, who set it at the 2008 Beijing Games.
With this historic victory, Pakistan ended a 32-year Olympic medal drought, last winning a medal in 1992 when the national hockey team claimed bronze by defeating the Netherlands 4-3 at the Barcelona Olympics.
