Arshad Nadeem failed to defend his Commonwealth Games javelin title after finishing ninth in the final and missing out on the medal race at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday.
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The Pakistani star opened the competition with a foul on his first attempt. He then recorded a throw of 77.41 metres before managing 75.61 metres on his third attempt.
As a result, Arshad finished ninth among 12 competitors. He failed to secure a place in the top eight, who advanced to the final rounds of the competition.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Romesh Tharanga led the standings after four rounds with a best throw of 89.75 metres. India’s Neeraj Chopra followed in second place with 85.83 metres.
Earlier, Arshad qualified for the final after finishing seventh in the qualification round with a best throw of 78.63 metres. However, he could not improve his performance in the final.
The result marked a disappointing end to the defending champion’s campaign. Four years ago, Arshad won gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games with a Games-record throw of 90.18 metres.
Moreover, the Glasgow performance extended a difficult run for the Olympic champion. He also struggled at a recent competition in Switzerland before recording below-par performances in both the Commonwealth qualification round and final.
Although Arshad captured gold at the Asian Championships earlier this year, he has yet to rediscover the form that produced his historic 92.97-metre throw at the Paris Olympics.
Furthermore, the Pakistani athlete has not crossed the 80-metre mark in his recent competitions. His latest performances are likely to raise concerns for his coaching team and Pakistan’s athletics authorities ahead of future international events.
