Canada’s Arop places second in men’s 800m at world athletics ultimate championship

Pakistan's Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem competed at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, throwing 81.49 meters on his third attempt. Despite his season-best effort, Arshad finished fifth, trailing behind Sri Lankan sensation Rumesh Pathirage, who dominated the competition with a remarkable 91.09m throw in the fourth round. Grenada's Anderson Peters secured second place with an 86.18m throw, while Germany's Julian Weber took bronze with 85.89m.

Arshad struggled to regain his form from the previous year, when he won Olympic gold with a record-breaking 92.97m throw. His 2026 season began with a ninth-place finish in Switzerland, followed by a disappointing performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he failed to advance beyond the preliminary round with a best throw of just 77.41m. Looking ahead, the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya are approaching, with Pathirage expected to be the clear favorite to win the men's javelin final on September 28.