Arshad Nadeem, renowned for his javelin prowess, secured a commendable fourth place at the Paris Diamond League, his first international competition this year following a precautionary withdrawal from an event in Finland due to a minor calf muscle issue.
His fifth attempt saw him achieve an impressive throw of 84.21 meters, although it fell short of securing a podium finish. Ahead of him were Julian Weber of Germany (85.91m), Anderson Peters of Grenada (85.19m), and Jakub Vadlejch (85.04m). Despite subsequent throws of 82.71m and 82.17m, his 84.21m effort was not enough to clinch a medal.
Returning from Paris on Monday, Arshad Nadeem and his coach plan to train in Lahore for about two weeks before heading back to Paris on July 24, ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony on July 26.
“I’ll use these two weeks of training to make up for any deficiencies,” Nadeem remarked, aiming to achieve a personal best throw of 90.18 meters at the upcoming Olympics.
Coach Salman Butt expressed satisfaction with Nadeem’s performance, highlighting his swift recovery from knee surgery earlier this year.
“The good news is that his rehabilitation was successful, allowing him to return to competition. We’ll continue to focus on training and refining his technique,” Butt told Dawn.com.
The Tokyo Olympics will mark a significant event as Nadeem and India’s Neeraj Chopra, reigning Olympic and World champion, compete against each other for the first time since last year’s World Championships, where Nadeem secured Pakistan’s first-ever silver medal while Chopra claimed gold.
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Chopra, who confirmed last week that he did not compete in the Paris Diamond League, has already shown strong form this season, including a silver medal at the Doha Diamond League with an 88.36m throw and a gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games with an 85.97m throw after a victory at the National Federation Cup in India.
