Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem made history with a new Olympic record in the men’s javelin final this evening, an astonishing throw which even had the judges in a state of shock.
Nadeem was shown the dreaded red flag after stepping over the line with his opening effort in Paris.
But the giant 27-year-old picked himself up from an underwhelming start and launched a jaw-dropping second throw from the Stade de France into the stratosphere, which looked promising as soon as it left his grip.
A huge roar echoed around the stadium as the javelin flew past the 90 metre mark and the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion immediately raised his arms in the air in celebration.
The official distance came back as 92.97m, surpassing Andreas Thorkildsen’s previous Olympic record of 90.57m, set at the Beijing Games back in 2008.
Unsurprisingly, Nadeem’s effort went unbeaten for the remaining rounds and India’s Neeraj Chopra – the defending champion – had to settle for the silver medal.
The bronze medal went to Anderson Peters, with the 26-year-old taking home Grenada’s fifth medal in the history of the Olympic Games.
As replays of Nadeem’s record-breaking achievement were broadcast across the world, eagle-eyed viewers spotted one of the judges’ brilliant reaction when going to measure the throw.
The visibly gobsmacked official appeared to be beaming from ear to ear and practically skipped to the point of impact, such was the level of shock and excitement inside the stadium.
When the size of the throw was announced, Nadeem was pictured with his head in his hands and seemingly on the brink of tears.
Prior to Arshad’s remarkable victory, Pakistan had never won an individual gold medal at the Games.
All three of Pakistan’s previous golds came in field hockey, with the nation achieving success in 1960, 1968 and, most recently, in 1984.
‘I dedicate my victory to the entire nation of Pakistan,’ Nadeem said following his victory.
‘I was told the whole nation is awake just to watch me try to win.’
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