DOHA: Qatar’s world champion high jumper Mutaz Barshim will begin his quest for the country’s maiden Olympic gold when the men’s competition starts tomorrow.
Bronze in London (later upgraded to silver) in 2012. Then silver in Rio in 2016. Back-to-back world titles followed in 2017 and 2019, the latter in front of a vociferous home crowd in Doha that capped a marvelous comeback from career-threatening injury.
Gold is the only place to go for the 30-year-old, who is widely considered the best high jumper of the past decade, if not of his generation.
Barshim has scaled 2.40m 11 times since 2013 – only world record holder Javier Sotomayor, with 17, has more successful clearances at that formidable barrier – and with a 2.43m personal best, is the second-highest jumper of all time.
But Barshim hasn’t jumped that high since a 2.40m clearance at the Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, on 2 July 2018.
The qualification rounds for the men’s high jump (9:15am Tokyo time/2:15am CEST).
