Tribune News Network
Doha
In May 2012, Mutaz Barshim was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his lumbar spine, leaving his participation in the London Olympic Games uncertain until the last moment.
Three years later, in 2015, Barshim reflected on that pivotal moment, saying, “Because it was the Olympics, I took my chance, and I ended up with a bronze medal (later upgraded to silver) after jumping 2.29 meters. That gave me a lot of confidence because I thought, ‘If I can do that with a broken back, imagine what I can achieve when I’m healthy.’”
Twelve years later, standing on the podium with his fourth Olympic medal—bronze—draped around his neck in Paris, Barshim would look back at the moment with pride and gratitude. His crowning achievement was undoubtedly the gold he won at the Tokyo Olympics, which will forever be remembered in folklore as the Qatari legend shared the gold with Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi after both were locked in first place.
But the bronze in the Paris Games will hold a special place in his heart. At the age of 33, with injuries plaguing him—he was troubled by a calf injury in qualifying—Barshim was still able to produce magic when needed. He was eventually outdone by the eventual champion Hamish Kerr of New Zealand and runner-up Shelby McEwen. But as he showed that night at the Stade de France, Barshim can still give his young rivals a run for their money.
Having announced that the Paris Games would be his last Olympics, Barshim stated that his next goal is to win his fourth World title in Tokyo next year. He has also set his sights on a fourth gold at the 2026 Asian Games, which will be held in Japan. So, could he push for another appearance at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028?
“Well, it’s almost like people are trying to negotiate with me now,” said Barshim with a chuckle on Thursday as he with the media back home since winning the bronze in Paris.
While admitting “it’s possible” to compete in his fifth Olympics, the legend that is Barshim said he would do so only if he can sustain the high standards that he has set all these years.
“I know I can go for one more, but for me, it’s not just about going to the Olympics and being there. When I’m there, I want to go for a win. For me, in order to do that, I need to be 100 percent. I don’t really like going to competitions without being fit. I have to just try not to get injured. It’s really, really difficult as a passionate high jumper to do that. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 2-3 years. I would let myself take the time to heal. But it’s possible. You never know!,” he added.
Barshim, however, is confident he can be at his best at next year’s World Championships in Tokyo, where he will look to create more history after winning three straight golds in London 2017, Doha 2019, and Eugene 2022. Besides, he is also looking forward to elevating the What Gravity Challenge—a competition he hosted earlier this year and won.
“There is always something new, and I will be competing in the World Championships in Japan next year. The rest of the events, like the Diamond League, only if it serves our agenda. It has to be part of the training that leads to a bigger championship. So of course, it might be a few Diamond League events,” he said.
“But for me, the most important will be the What Gravity Challenge. It’s my baby, and the first edition was amazing. So I’m looking forward to competing in that and the World Championships, and anything apart from that, we’ll see.”
The second-best high jumper in history, with a personal best of 2.43m achieved at the Diamond League in Brussels in September 2014, Barshim is only behind Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor (2.45m) on the all-time list. In July 2018, he damaged his left ankle ligaments while attempting to break Sotomayor’s world record, which has stood since 1993.
While Sotomayor himself recently admitted it will be tough for Barshim to break the record, the Qatari legend has not given up hope. “Every day I wake up, I take it day by day. How can I be better? And for me, I look at everything as a challenge, and the world record is not excluded. It’s always there,” Barshim said, with his eyes lighting up at the mention of the world record.
“The challenge is to push yourself 110%. I’m waiting for that moment. But for the past two or three years, it really has been difficult because I wasn’t 100% healthy. And it was too much of a risk to push myself to that level, knowing that you have a championship which is important for that year. I can’t push myself early and end up injured. I feel like at this stage, I’ve done it all, and the only thing I’m looking for is to be healthy and push myself. So let’s hope for the next few seasons,” he said.
Barshim has already figured out what he would do after calling it a day on his illustrious career—working with youngsters in Qatar.
“The experience I’ve been collecting and all the knowledge is only right to give back, you know. It’s only about timing—when it is the right time to feel like I want to do something now—because while you’re still active, it’s really, really difficult,” he said.
“I have confidence. You know, we have a very good young team. For example, there’s eleven people, as we speak, flying to the World Juniors. The talent is there, the infrastructure is there,” he added.
Barshim wrapped up the personal interactions thanking his family and his father.
“Growing up in a sports family, seeing my father compete on television. I wanted to be like him, he was role model. Today, I think I am better than him,” he said in a lighter vein with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. “Yeah, it’s all in the family.”
