Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem reveals carrying injury through record win at Paris Olympics - WATCH

Gold medal winner in the javelin final at the Paris Olympics 2024, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, carried an injury through the tournament while ending his country’s 40-year wait for an individual gold medal. Nadeem beat the defending champion from India, Neeraj Chopra, for the coveted gold medal at the Summer Games

Almost a week after his incredible feat in Paris, where he created the Olympic Record (OR) with his gold medal-winning throw of 92.97m, Arshad revealed he suffered an injury in the lead-up to the Summer Games. 

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Speaking at the Prime Minister's House (during Pakistan’s Independence Day) in Islamabad on Wednesday (August 14), Nadeem said,

“Just five minutes before I had to go to the call room (the room where athletes in track and field events gather before their names are announced and they appear on the track), I felt a pain. I told my coach. And he said, ‘Kuch nahi hota, tu sher hai (there will be no issues, you are a lion.”

“I had actually picked up an injury while throwing on 21st July when we were training at Punjab Stadium. We were supposed to fly on 24th July. We (the coach, doctor and myself) didn’t tell anyone. 

“During the first throw, I felt some pain, and the doctor applied some medicine. I told him I didn’t know if that would have any effect. The doctor also told me ‘tum sher ho’. Both the doctor and coach told me the same words,” Pakistan’s newest sporting sensation added.

OR done, now eyes on WR

Meanwhile, speaking about his personal-best throw of 92.97m in the finals, Arshad revealed what went behind the scenes since the qualifying round. Arshad, like Neeraj, was among the three javelin throwers who qualified for the final with their early attempts. 

In the summit clash, where he was faulted for his false first throw, like Neeraj, Arshad’s second throw sealed the gold medal for him, and what he told his coach at that time is worth noting.

“In the warm-up throw, it crossed 82m, then I knew I would be able to throw. But in the first throw, my run-up was ruined twice. But in the second throw, as soon as the javelin left my hand, I knew it was a 90+ throw. 

"After that throw, I came to my coach and said we had gold and Olympic Record. Now let me try for the world record,” Nadeem said, as quoted by the Indian Express.

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Since becoming the first from his country to win a gold in the track and field at the Olympic Games, Nadeem has his eyes set on the world record held by Jan Zelesny, the former Czech Republic athlete, who recorded a whopping distance of 98.48m in May 1996.

(With inputs from agencies)