WEB DESK: Pakistan’s top javelin thrower, Arshad Nadeem, was unable to deliver his best at the World Athletics Championships held at Japan’s National Stadium on Wednesday, failing to qualify for the final round.
Nadeem began his campaign with a promising throw of 82.73 metres. However, a foul on his second attempt and only a marginal improvement to 82.75 metres in his third throw left him short of the mark needed to secure a place among the finalists.
In stark contrast, defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India had a strong start, opening with a throw of 83.65 metres and following it up with 84.03 metres. Despite his third attempt being ruled invalid, Chopra comfortably progressed to the next stage.
Earlier in the qualifiers, Arshad had given Pakistan a glimmer of hope. After a slow start with throws of 76.99 metres and 74.17 metres, he bounced back with a solid 85.28-metre effort on his final attempt—just surpassing the automatic qualification mark of 84.50 metres.
Group B saw an impressive showing from Paris Olympics bronze medallist Anderson Peters, who booked his place in the final with a massive 89.53-metre throw on his second attempt.
From Group A, other top names including Chopra, Julien Weber, and Dawid Wegener secured qualification with consistent performances.
Despite flashes of brilliance in the qualifiers, Nadeem couldn’t sustain the form when it mattered most, marking a disappointing end to his championship run.
