Eugene: Barshem earns third straight high jump gold

Qatar’s Mu’taz Barshim has crowned the third world title in succession when he gold the high jump competition at the 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene.
Barshem, the champion of the Tokyo Olympics in equity with Italian friend Janmarco Tampere, managed his achievement by passing five consecutive hurdles from the first attempt, the last of which was 2.37 m, ahead of South Korea’s Wu Sanghyuk (2.35 m), while the bronze of Ukrainian Andrei Brutsenko, who awarded his country’s first medal at the tournament, returned.

Barshim began the competition by choosing not to pass the 2.19 m barrier and proceeded directly to 2.24 m, 2.27 m, 2.30 m, 2.33 m, 2.35 m, and 2.37 m without any fault.

The South Korean, who overtook Barshim at the Doha Diamond Meeting last May, tried to put pressure on Barshem when he asked to move directly to the 2.39 m barrier after failing in the first attempt to pass 2.37 m, but failed in two attempts and was content with silver.

It is Qatar’s fifth gold in the world championships as well as two silver and three bronze.

“Hamdallah is an achievement that has not come out of thin air,” Barshim said.

“The competition was tough and strong, but my focus on myself was high and I didn’t feel the pressure and I was fully prepared for the title.”