Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem has climbed to fourth place in the latest global javelin rankings released by the World Athletics Federation, despite limited participation in international events this season.

According to the updated standings, Arshad has accumulated 1,370 points, placing him firmly among the world’s top five javelin throwers. His impressive position comes on the back of standout performances, even though he has only appeared in one major event this year — the Asian Athletics Championships — where he secured gold with a throw of 86.40 meters.

Arshad’s remarkable rise began with his historic throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he shattered the Olympic record with a massive 92.97-meter attempt, earning Pakistan its first-ever Olympic gold in track and field.

However, his current ranking has been somewhat limited due to his absence from several ranking competitions this year. Despite that, Arshad’s consistency and dominance at the events he has participated in have kept him in contention with the sport’s best.

Looking ahead, Arshad is expected to take part in two or three international meets before the World Athletics Championships in September. Strong showings at these events could significantly boost his ranking.

At the top of the men’s rankings is India’s Neeraj Chopra with 1,445 points, followed by Grenada’s Anderson Peters (1,431), and Germany’s Julian Weber (1,407). Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch (1,346) and Kenya’s Julius Yego (1,314) round out the top six.

On the women’s side, Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi leads with 1,405 points, ahead of Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos (1,351), South Africa’s Jo-Ane Du Plessis (1,318), and Greece’s Elina Tzengko (1,309).

Arshad Nadeem’s gold at the Asian Athletics Championships also marked a significant milestone — he became the first Pakistani in over five decades to win a gold medal at the event. The last such victories came in 1973, when Allah Dada and Muhammad Younis claimed top honors in javelin and 800 meters respectively.

With his eyes set on further glory, Arshad remains a beacon of pride for Pakistan and a serious contender on the global athletics stage.