The Commonwealth Games defending champion and Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem had a disappointing end to his title defence at the 2026 Commonwealth Games when he crashed out early in the men’s javelin throw final on Friday.
The 29-year-old gold medal-winning star from the Birmingham 2022 Games with a record-breaking throw of 90.18 metres, was unable to get on top of the game.
He did not qualify for the last three shots, which go to the top eight players after the first three rounds, after those three rounds, he will not be able to compete in the final.
Nadeem’s campaign was a difficult one to start with, with his first throw being a foul. He shot 77.41 metres with his second shot, but still missed the qualification rounds.
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He needed a far greater third throw to stay in the contest and ended up in ninth place with 75.39 metres, far from a good enough third effort to keep his Commonwealth title.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage produced the winning performance with an impressive throw of 89.75 metres in the second round.
Though he fouled all five of his other attempts, this shot was enough to get him the gold.
Former Commonwealth Games champ Neeraj Chopra, who won silver in the 2016 Commonwealth Games, settled for 85.83 metres to grab the silver in the second round, this time with a season-best throw.
India’s Yash Vir Singh emerged from the fray with the bronze medal, having put on an impressive 85.41 metres final round throw.
Nadeem’s sudden withdrawal came as a surprise in the athletics events, ending the reigning champion’s shot at winning Pakistan’s first gold medal in the men’s javelin throw.
Also read: Arshad Nadeem qualifies for Commonwealth Games Javelin final
