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Neutral athlete Lysenko takes gold
Agencies
Birmingham
"Authorised Neutral Athlete" (ANA) Danil Lysenko of Russia cleared 2.36m off his third and final jump to win the gold medal of the men's high jump, beating Qatar's world champion Mutaz Essa Barshim at the IAAF World Indoor Championships at the Arena in Birmingham on Thursday.
Both cleared the first four jumps in first attempts and at 2.36m, only they were left in the fray. Current world champion and 2017 IAAF world male athlete of the year, Barshim failed in all the three attempts, the 20-year-old Lysenko went on to bag the title off his third attempt.
Barshim has been the leading jumper this season with 2.38m at the Asian Indoor Championship in Iran last month. This was the eighth win in a row for the Russian, who is competing under the IOC flag and has set lifetime bests of 2.35m, 2.36m and 2.37m en route to his seven victories.
The bronze medal was bagged by German Mateusz Przybylko, who cleared 2.29m.
Lysenko was tipped to be Barshim's fiercest competitor. The 20-year-old world silver medallist has enjoyed an unbeaten winter campaign, setting lifetime bests of 2.35m, 2.36m and 2.37m en route to his seven victories.
