Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished fifth in the men's javelin throw at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship on Sunday, missing out on a place on the podium. Nadeem's best throw of 81.49 meters came on his third attempt and was also his season-best mark. His first two attempts measured 74.42m and 79.66m. Only the top four athletes advanced to the final round, meaning Nadeem's competition ended after the first three throws.
Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage won the title with a throw of 91.09m, while Grenada's Anderson Peters finished second with 86.18m. Germany's Julian Weber secured the bronze medal with 85.89m, while Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott finished fourth with 82.41m. Kenya's Julius Yego placed sixth with 80.23m, followed by Poland's Dawid Wegner with 77.21m and USA's Curtis Thompson with 75.80m.
Arshad Nadeem, who won Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games with a record-breaking 92.97m throw, has been unable to reproduce his peak medal-winning performance this season and recorded his season-best mark of 81.49m in this latest outing. Despite missing the podium, his participation marks another appearance at the highest level of international athletics.
Sports analysts note that maintaining peak physical conditioning throughout an extended athletic calendar remains a significant challenge for top-tier competitors. Nadeem's supporters across Pakistan continue to back the star athlete as he looks forward to preparing for upcoming international tournaments and future global championships.