Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record on Thursday and ended Pakistan’s 32- time stay for success at the Games by deciding the coveted gold order in the men’s pikestaff final in Paris.
The Mian Channu- born was slow off the blocks, registering a no– throw on his first attempt of the night but shocked everyone on his alternate attempt, with a monstrous 92.97- m gamble, which the rest of the field could n’t indeed come near for the rest of the competition.
Behind Nadeem on the tribune was rival and reigning champion Neeraj Chopra, who also had a foul gamble on his first attempt before ultimately settling for a tableware order finish with an 89.45 m gamble on his alternate attempt.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters took home citation, his first ever Olympic order, with an 88.54 m gamble.
Nadeem’s gamble was Pakistan’s first individual gold order, first track and field order and the alternate time a South Asian has had a tribune finish in track and field.
It also shattered the former Olympic record of 90.57 m, set by the Netherlands’ Andreas Thorkildsen at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
The gamble now stands as the sixth longest gamble ever, and the stylish in the world this time.
Tonight’s final burned Pakistan- India contest that Nadeem and Chopra have kept alive over the times. Just last time, the brace went 1- 2 as Chopra bagged gold and Nadeem took home tableware at the World Athletics Crowns.
Chopra had a shaky night throughout after heading into the final as the top seed with a 89.34 m. The reigning world champion and Tokyo 2020 gold quarterfinalist had five foul throws, with his lone 89.45 m being good enough to bag tableware.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif complimented Nadeem on his palm. “ You’ve made the whole nation proud youthful man, ” he wrote on social media platform X.