Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem made his long-awaited return to international competition after recovering from injury but endured a disappointing outing, finishing ninth at the Lucerne International Meet in Switzerland.
A total of 18 athletes from different countries competed in the event, which is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver series. None of Arshad Nadeem’s throws crossed the 80-meter mark, with his best effort measuring 78.47 meters.
Arshad Nadeem recently received the World Athletics Global Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award. Germany’s Julian Weber won the competition with an impressive throw of 87.54 meters.
The Lucerne meet marked Arshad Nadeem’s first international appearance since recovering from injury and was considered an important step in his preparation for upcoming major competitions.
Arshad will now turn his attention to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he will defend his javelin throw title. The men’s javelin event is scheduled to take place on July 30.
Despite his disappointing performance in Lucerne, fans remain optimistic that the Pakistani star will regain top form and deliver a stronger performance at the Commonwealth Games as he continues to recover his full fitness.
It is worth mentioning here that Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem is aiming to make history again at the Commonwealth Games after completing preparations to defend his title.
Arshad Nadeem won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with a record-breaking throw. The star javelin thrower said his preparations are complete and he remains in the same strong form as he was four years ago.
Speaking after his final training session a few weeks earlier at Punjab Stadium in Lahore, Arshad said he has prepared well for the Commonwealth Games. He added that participating in a competition before a major event helps assess his fitness, strength, and level of preparation.
Recalling his 2022 Commonwealth Games triumph, Arshad said the memories of breaking the event record are still fresh. He added that while four years have passed, there is pressure to maintain his status as champion and deliver another strong performance.
He said his biggest competition has always been with himself and that he aims to perform at his best again. He acknowledged that the Sri Lankan athlete has also been performing well and that the competition will be challenging.
Read more: Arshad Nadeem targets repeat glory at Commonwealth Games
