Pakistan’s Olympic hero Arshad Nadeem has qualified for the final round of the javelin throw event in the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo with an 85.28-metre throw in his final attempt.

Arshad Nadeem recorded a throw of 76.99 meters in his first attempt, followed by a 74.17 meters throw in the second.

Arshad has been placed in Group B, while his traditional rival, India’s Neeraj Chopra, is in Group A.

Neeraj Chopra qualified for the final round in his first attempt with an 84.85-meter throw. The automatic qualification mark was 84.50 metres.

Nadeem and Chopra are now set to face each other in the final round.

Out of 37 athletes, the top 12 performers qualified or the final round, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, where the battle for medals will be decided.

“My body feels good, I’m pretty fit. The qualifiers [on Wednesday] will show where I stand, and I’ll have expectations for the final based on that,” Arshad said in a media interview ahead of the qualifying round.

The nation’s hopes are pinned on Nadeem, who made history by winning gold at the Paris Olympics and continues to be a standout figure in international athletics.