Glasgow, August 1, 2026: Pakistan’s reigning Olympic champion and defending Commonwealth Games gold medalist Arshad Nadeem suffered a shock early exit from the men’s javelin throw final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after failing to finish among the top eight following the opening three rounds.
Nadeem, who won Commonwealth gold in 2022 with a record-breaking throw of 90.18 metres, endured a disappointing performance in Glasgow. He opened his title defence with a foul before registering a throw of 77.41 metres on his second attempt, placing him ninth at the end of the second round.
Needing a significant improvement to qualify for the final three attempts reserved for the top eight competitors, the 29-year-old managed only 75.39 metres with his third throw, leaving him in ninth place and ending his campaign without a chance to compete for a medal.
Arshad Nadeem’s attempts:
- First attempt: Foul
- Second attempt: 77.41 metres
- Third attempt: 75.39 metres
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage claimed the gold medal with a remarkable throw of 89.75 metres in his second attempt. Despite fouling on all five of his other attempts, the second-round effort proved enough to secure the Commonwealth title.
India’s Neeraj Chopra took the silver medal with a season-best throw of 85.83 metres, also achieved in the second round, while fellow Indian Yash Vir Singh snatched bronze with a personal best of 85.41 metres on his final attempt.
Nadeem had also struggled in the qualification round, finishing seventh with a best throw of 78.63 metres. No athlete reached the automatic qualifying mark of 84 metres, with the top 12 performers advancing to the final based on their best throws.
Pathirage topped the qualification standings with 82.84 metres, followed by Grenada’s Anderson Peters (81.29m) and South Africa’s Douw Smit (80.64m). England’s Ben East finished fourth with 80.38 metres, while Chopra was fifth with 79.61 metres.
Pakistan’s Yasir Sultan failed to progress to the final after finishing 14th in qualifying with a best throw of 74.36 metres.
