Some athletes are destined for greatness from a very young age. Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, just 25, is one athlete who continues to live up to his high billing. On Tuesday night, Barshim won the silver medal in the high jump, finishing a notch behind Canada’s Derek Drouin at the Olympic Stadium in Rio De Janeiro.
It was Barshim’s second Olympic medal, having won the bronze four years ago in London. Competing against more or less the same athletes who were present at the last Olympics, Barshim produced five clean jumps before failing to clear the gold 2:38m mark and settled for the silver. A bronze medal in his debut Games in 2012 is followed by Qatar’s first ever silver at the 2016 Olympics. That indeed is hallmark of a athlete going places.
Barshim, the gold star at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, two years ago, has a fan in Javier Sotomayor, the man with the world record in high jump. The former track and field star from Cuba has predicted that the lanky Qatari will go on to create a new world mark sooner
than later.
Barshim’s best quality is that he can absorb pressure as a professional athlete. He doesn’t talk about competing, he mentions winning medals as his target. He wants to be on the podium and he makes his intentions pretty clear. On Tuesday night, just before his slip up on the sixth jump, Barshim egged on the fans at the Olympic Stadium in Rio to create a buzz that usually boosts the confidence of an athlete. He knows what helps him during competitions and he doesn’t hold himself back.
Born into a family of track and field fans, Barshim’s father was an athlete as well. His young brother Muammar also features in competitions around the world though the younger sibling clearly has miles to go. Barshim was quick to thank his backroom staff, members of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Qatar Athletics Federation after securing the silver medal.
Moving forward, Barshim will clearly be looking to go for gold when the next Games are held in Tokyo in 2020. But before that, the young fashion-conscious Qatari will be eyeing the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London where he won his first bronze four years ago. He will also be expected to lead home honours when the 2019 IAAF World Championships are held in Doha.
Engage Barshim in a friendly chat and you will notice he is a straight talker. He will tell you his training regime is ‘tough’, his inescapable diet ‘extremely boring’ and expectations from his countrymen ‘very high’. But the tall, lanky athlete doesn’t mind the extra attention he gets. He loves the sniff of a medal and the accolades that follow, if he wins.
Considering his impressive track record so far, Qatar’s shining star is set for greater glory in months and years to come.
Some athletes are destined for greatness from a very young age. Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, just 25, is one athlete who continues to live up to his high billing. On Tuesday night, Barshim won the silver medal in the high jump, finishing a notch behind Canada’s Derek Drouin at the Olympic Stadium in Rio De Janeiro.
It was Barshim’s second Olympic medal, having won the bronze four years ago in London. Competing against more or less the same athletes who were present at the last Olympics, Barshim produced five clean jumps before failing to clear the gold 2:38m mark and settled for the silver. A bronze medal in his debut Games in 2012 is followed by Qatar’s first ever silver at the 2016 Olympics. That indeed is hallmark of a athlete going places.
Barshim, the gold star at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, two years ago, has a fan in Javier Sotomayor, the man with the world record in high jump. The former track and field star from Cuba has predicted that the lanky Qatari will go on to create a new world mark sooner
than later.
Barshim’s best quality is that he can absorb pressure as a professional athlete. He doesn’t talk about competing, he mentions winning medals as his target. He wants to be on the podium and he makes his intentions pretty clear. On Tuesday night, just before his slip up on the sixth jump, Barshim egged on the fans at the Olympic Stadium in Rio to create a buzz that usually boosts the confidence of an athlete. He knows what helps him during competitions and he doesn’t hold himself back.
Born into a family of track and field fans, Barshim’s father was an athlete as well. His young brother Muammar also features in competitions around the world though the younger sibling clearly has miles to go. Barshim was quick to thank his backroom staff, members of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Qatar Athletics Federation after securing the silver medal.
Moving forward, Barshim will clearly be looking to go for gold when the next Games are held in Tokyo in 2020. But before that, the young fashion-conscious Qatari will be eyeing the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London where he won his first bronze four years ago. He will also be expected to lead home honours when the 2019 IAAF World Championships are held in Doha.
Engage Barshim in a friendly chat and you will notice he is a straight talker. He will tell you his training regime is ‘tough’, his inescapable diet ‘extremely boring’ and expectations from his countrymen ‘very high’. But the tall, lanky athlete doesn’t mind the extra attention he gets. He loves the sniff of a medal and the accolades that follow, if he wins.
Considering his impressive track record so far, Qatar’s shining star is set for greater glory in months and years to come.
