Qatar’s pride Mutaz Essa Barshim electrified the World Athletics Championships stage in Doha by winning Gold.
Mutaz Barshim is a Qatari and track field athlete who is specialized in the high jump. The reigning world champion competed alone and went on to thrill the crowd, clearing 2.38m. The 28-year-old athlete was born in Doha into a Sudanese family. His father was a middle and long-distance runner. He got into athletics because of his father. Barshim tried running and long jumping in his youth. At the age of 15, he switched to high jump because it looked more fun.
He began training in Doha at the Aspire Academy. He is the national and Asian record holder with the best mark of 2.43m. He won bronze at the London 2012 Olympic games and went one better at the Rio Olympics to take silver. The Qatari won Gold in 2017 World Championships Athletics held in London. He was named Male World Athlete of the Year at the IAAF Athletics Award 2017. He was earlier the Asian Indoor and World Junior champion in 2010 and won the high jump gold medals at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships and 2011 Military World Games.
He is one of the best in the high jump with an impressive collection of Olympic and World Champion Medals.
“For me, it was just a dream. At home, it was just amazing. Everybody was there – my family, friends and the Amir himself. I was not 100 percent ready but when I came there and see all those people cheering for me, even if I was dying, if they take me from the wheelchair, or ambulance, I would do everything I can,” the champion high jumper said after the final.
