Pakistan’s Olympic champion managed 80.29 metres in Nagoya, while Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage secured gold with an 88.55m throw.
WEB DESK: Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished fourth in the men’s javelin final at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya on Monday, while Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage produced a late winning throw to claim the gold medal.
Nadeem recorded a best throw of 80.29 metres, falling short of the podium as Pathirage secured the title with an 88.55-metre effort on his sixth and final attempt.
Arshad unable to find his rhythm
Nadeem opened the competition with a throw of 76.69 metres before fouling his second attempt.
He improved to 80.29 metres with his third throw but was unable to add to his mark, fouling each of his final three attempts.
The result means the Paris 2024 Olympic champion finished outside the medals at another major international competition.
Nadeem won Olympic gold in Paris with a record-breaking 92.97-metre throw, which remains his personal best and the Olympic record.
Pathirage seals gold with final throw
Pathirage left his best effort until the final round.
The Sri Lankan thrower had already moved to the top of the standings with an 88.33-metre effort in his fourth attempt before extending his lead to 88.55 metres with his sixth throw.
India’s Yashvir Singh won silver with a personal-best 85.72 metres, while compatriot Rohit Yadav took bronze with 84.35 metres.
Pathirage’s Asian Games victory adds another major title to an impressive 2026 season.
He had previously won the Commonwealth Games and World Athletics Ultimate Championship, while also claiming a Diamond League title. His personal best of 92.62 metres is only 35 centimetres short of Nadeem’s Olympic record.
Another difficult major event for Nadeem
The fourth-place finish comes after Nadeem placed fifth at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship earlier this month.
He recorded a season-best 81.49 metres in that competition, while Pathirage won the title with a 91.09-metre throw.
Nadeem had also struggled at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he failed to reach the top-eight stage of the javelin final. Pathirage won that competition as well.
Yasir Sultan misses top eight
Pakistan’s other javelin competitor, Yasir Sultan, also failed to reach the final eight in Nagoya.
His best effort was 73.50 metres, with his three-attempt series recorded as a foul, 73.50m and 73.47m. His personal best is 79.93 metres, recorded at the 2023 Asian Championships in Bangkok.
Japan’s Yuta Sakiyama retired hurt during his fourth attempt, while India’s Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra did not compete in Nagoya because of injury.
The Asian Games result gives Pathirage another major title while Nadeem will look to regain his earlier form after a series of results below the level he established with his historic Olympic performance in Paris.
