Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem has secured a place in the men’s javelin field for the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21. The competition will take place at Lausanne’s Stade Olympique de la Pontaise. It will bring Nadeem back into elite international action after his disappointing Commonwealth Games title defence in Glasgow. The Wanda Diamond League confirmed the high-profile contest on August 4. It said, “The three biggest stars in South Asian athletics will go head to head” in Lausanne. Olympic Champions Head Strong Entry List Nadeem will compete against India’s Neeraj Chopra and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage. Grenada’s two-time world champion Anderson Peters also appears on the entry list. The field includes Curtis Thompson of the United States, Jakub Vadlejch of Czechia and Germany’s Julian Weber. Former Olympic champions Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago and Thomas Röhler of Germany will also compete. Switzerland’s Simon Wieland completes the 10-man lineup. Pathirage enters the meeting as the 2026 world leader. He threw 92.62 metres at the Rome Diamond League in June, moving to eighth on the world all-time list. He then won Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow with 89.75 metres. Read More: What Went Wrong for Arshad Nadeem in Glasgow? Chopra took silver in Glasgow with 85.83 metres, while India’s Yashvir Singh claimed bronze with a personal best of 85.41 metres. Their performances underlined the strength of the South Asian javelin contingent. Nadeem remains the Asian record holder after producing 92.97 metres at the Paris Olympics in 2024. That throw earned Pakistan its first Olympic athletics gold and placed him ahead of Chopra. Nadeem Targets Response After Glasgow Setback The 29-year-old will arrive in Lausanne seeking a strong recovery from his ninth-place finish in the 12-man Commonwealth Games final. Nadeem began his title defence with a foul. He recorded 77.41 metres in the second round but remained outside the leading positions. His third effort reached only 75.39 metres, leaving him ninth and ending his medal challenge after three attempts. The result contrasted sharply with his triumph at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. Nadeem won that title with a Games record of 90.18 metres. Lausanne now offers an immediate chance to rebuild momentum against several of the world’s leading throwers. Athletissima will stage its 51st edition on August 21, with the men’s javelin among the main programme events. Read More: Arshad Nadeem Qualifies for Glasgow 2026 Javelin Final The meeting is the 12th stop of the 2026 Diamond League season. The campaign began in Shanghai and will conclude with the two-day final in Brussels on September 4 and 5. A strong performance would help Nadeem restore confidence after Glasgow. It would also add another chapter to his rivalry with Chopra, while testing him against Pathirage’s exceptional 2026 form.
History Made: Kenya Star Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe has made history by becoming the first athlete to complete an official marathon in under two hours, breaking one of the most elusive barriers in long-distance running during the 2026 London Marathon. Sawe crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, setting a new world record and surpassing the previous mark of 2:00:35 held by the late Kelvin Kiptum. The achievement marks the first time the two-hour barrier has been broken in a competitive race under standard rules, distinguishing it from earlier unofficial attempts. Historic race rewrites marathon limits The race in London delivered one of the fastest marathon finishes ever, with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finishing second in 1:59:41, also under two hours, and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo third in 2:00:28. It was the first time in history that multiple runners completed a marathon under the previous world record in a single race, underscoring a new era in elite distance running. Sawe’s performance has been widely described as a landmark moment for athletics, long considered the final frontier of human endurance in the sport. “This race marked a pivotal moment in athletics,” analysts noted, as the barrier that had stood for decades was finally broken under official conditions. The Kenyan runner’s success builds on years of progress in marathon running, driven by advances in training, nutrition and footwear technology, as well as increasingly competitive race environments. Read More: Man Sets Bizarre Guinness World Record by Passing Balloons Through Nose and Mouth From near misses to breakthrough moment The sub-two-hour milestone had previously been approached but never officially achieved. In 2019, fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in 1:59:40, but the effort was not recognised as a world record due to non-standard race conditions. Sawe’s run, however, complied fully with World Athletics regulations, making it the first official sub-two-hour marathon in history. The 29-year-old runner, who has rapidly risen through the ranks of long-distance running, has already built a strong record with victories in major marathons, including London and Berlin in previous years. Experts say the breakthrough could reshape expectations in the sport, with more athletes now likely to target sub-two-hour times in future races. Beyond individual achievement, the performance also highlights Kenya’s continued dominance in distance running, reinforcing its reputation as a global powerhouse in endurance sports. The London Marathon itself, one of the world’s premier road races, has often been a stage for record-breaking performances, but this year’s edition is likely to be remembered as a defining moment in athletics history. Read More: Brazil bowler Laura Cardoso shatters T20 world record with stunning nine-wicket haul
