Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem competes
Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem competes in the men's javelin throw final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 8, 2024. Image Credit: AFP

Paris: Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won the Olympic men's javelin title in Paris on Thursday, his country's first individual gold at a Summer Games.

Nadeem threw an Olympic record of 92.97 metres for victory, India's defending champion Neeraj Chopra taking silver with 89.45. Grenada's Anderson Peters claimed bronze with 88.54m.

India's Neeraj Chopra (R) congratulates Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem
India's Neeraj Chopra (R) congratulates Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem after the men's javelin throw final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 8, 2024. Image Credit: AFP

Before Arshad's remarkable victory, Pakistan had never won an individual gold medal at the Olympics.

All of Pakistan's previous three gold medals came in field hockey, with their team winning gold in 1960, 1968 and 1984.

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem reacts as he competes in the men's javelin throw final
Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem reacts as he competes in the men's javelin throw final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Prior to Thursday, only two Pakistan athletes had won individual medals of any colour - with a wrestling bronze in 1960 and a boxing bronze in 1988.

Since the 1992 Barcelona Games, Pakistan has not won a medal of any kind.