Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished fifth in the men’s javelin at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship on Sunday, missing out on the final round after producing a season-best 81.49 metres.
Nadeem opened with 74.42m before improving to 79.66m on his second attempt. His third throw of 81.49m was his best of the competition and his leading mark of the 2026 season.
Only the top four advanced to the final rounds under the championship’s four-round format, ending Nadeem’s challenge after three attempts.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage claimed the title with a 91.09m throw, ahead of Grenada’s Anderson Peters on 86.18m and Germany’s Julian Weber on 85.89m. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott finished fourth with 82.41m.
Kenya’s Julius Yego was sixth with 80.23m, followed by Poland’s Dawid Wegner on 77.21m and American Curtis Thompson on 75.80m.
Nadeem won Olympic gold at Paris 2024 with a record-breaking 92.97m throw, which remains his personal best and the Olympic record.
Pathirage, meanwhile, capped a remarkable 2026 season in Budapest. The 23-year-old had already established himself as the world leader with 92.62m in Rome in June before adding the Ultimate Championship title to his Commonwealth and Diamond League successes.
