Arshad Nadeem records his best throw of the 2026 season but fails to reach the final round as Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage wins gold in Budapest.
Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished fifth in the men’s javelin throw at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday, despite recording his best throw of the 2026 season.
Competing at the National Athletics Centre, Nadeem produced a season-best 81.49 metres on his third attempt. However, the mark was not enough to place him among the top four athletes who advanced to the decisive final round.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won the title with a spectacular 91.09-metre throw in the final round. Grenada’s Anderson Peters claimed silver with 86.18 metres, while Germany’s Julian Weber took bronze with 85.89 metres.
Nadeem struggled to find his rhythm early in the competition. His opening throw measured 74.42 metres before he improved to 79.66 metres on his second attempt. He then produced his strongest effort of the night, 81.49 metres, on his third throw. His performance ended there because only the top four competitors advanced to the fourth round.
Weber initially set the benchmark with an 84.09-metre throw before Peters moved into the lead with 86.18 metres. Pathirage recorded 85.69 metres before improving to 87.11 metres in the third round.
The Sri Lankan then delivered the decisive 91.09-metre effort in the final round to secure the championship.
The fifth-place finish adds to a difficult season for Nadeem, who has struggled to reproduce the form that earned him Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games. He won the Olympic title with a record-breaking 92.97-metre throw, which remains his personal best.
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