Arshad Nadeem has saved Pakistan from humiliation. Leading a small 7-man contingent, the weight of bringing a medal fell upon the javelin star. The other six Pakistani athletes were knocked out of the first round in each of their respective sports. If not for his 86.59m throw in Group B, that earned him a direct place in the final.
The Asian record holder (90.18m throw) had reached the Final at the Tokyo Olympics but finished fifth, missing out on a podium finish. He has a chance to redeem himself and fight for a medal on August 8. Going against the likes of Neeraj Chopra, Anderson Peters, Jakub Vadlejch, and Julian Weber won’t be easy, but Pakistan would pin their hopes on Arshad.
Pakistan hasn’t won a medal at the Olympics since Barcelona in 1992, the first individual medal since Hussain Shah’s bronze in Seoul (1988) and the first-ever medal for Pakistan in athletics.
Pakistan’s performance at Paris Olympics
Barring Arshad, no Pakistani athlete even made it past the first round at the Paris Olympics. Their sprinter, Faiqa Riaz, was the best athlete of the remaining six, finishing sixth in 100m heat 2. Meanwhile, swimmer Muhammad Ahmed Durrani was their worst performer, ending 25th in the 200m freestyle.
| Athlete | Sport | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Arshad Nadeem | Athletics (Javelin throw) | In the Final |
| Faiqa Riaz | Athletics (100m race) | 6th in Heat 2 |
| Muhammad Ahmed Durrani | Swimming (200m freestyle) | Last place (25th) finish |
| Jehanara Nabi | Swimming (200m freestyle) | 26th place finish |
| Ghulam Mustafa Bashir | Shooting (25m Rapid Pistol) | 15th in Stage 2 |
| Gulfam Joseph | Shooting (10m Air pistol & 10m Air Pistol mixed team) | 22nd and 14th |
| Kishmala Talat | Shooting (10m Air Pistol, 25m Pistol & 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team) | 31st, 22nd and 14th |
Editor's Pick
Top Stories
