Mutaz Essa Barshim’s journey to glory on home soil was not easy; in fact he went through a lot of agony as he prepared to defend his world title.  After his ankle injury in 2017, the Qatari double Olympic medalist was not sure whether he would jump again.

“One year ago I got off the crutches, I took my first step. My injury was very serious, it would have meant a career-ending. Then you start questioning yourself,” Barshim said he gave a glimpse of his ordeal, telling reporters he will share his experience in detail in his upcoming book.

After all what he went through, Barshim jumped to 2.37m to retain his gold medal at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, having failed to clear 2.33m twice, just to manage the height in his final attempt.

“This achievement can inspire a lot of people. I hope I will see many Barshims in the future or even better athletes than me. I don’t think it’s only for the high jumpers. It’s for all athletics. People that came here, they witnessed everything,” said Barshim, an Aspire Academy graduate.

“Aspire Academy is my home. I have a lot of great memories. They gave me the opportunity to be who I am. As soon I settle down I will come to Aspire to talk to the kids, to let them know they can do it. I was one of you guys. We have great facilities, we have great support and I believe you can achieve a lot,” he said.

‘Just wanted to do it for home fans’

Barshim was backed by a capacity crowd at the Khalia International Stadium, with the Amir H H Shekih Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also supporting the hero to excel.

“The Amir was very excited, very happy. I went to see him after the end of the competition and he said ‘Well done. I have no words to say. You did everything, more than I expected’. He’s really happy, he’s proud and I am proud too,” said Barshim of his meeting with the Amir after his title win, before hailing enormous support from the home fans.

“I am really happy, it feels amazing, it feels great. I have won a lot of medals but this one was at home. So it feels different. Everybody came there supporting me a lot, I just wanted to do it for them. They are the champions tonight, not me.

“I wasn’t 100 percent ready, but with all these people cheering for me like this I just forgot everything. I felt like, OK it doesn’t matter what happens tonight, if I injure myself if it’s my last competition, I am going to push everything out,” he said.

Barshim admitted he was under pressure but said that helped him do well.

“Of course, there is pressure, there is always pressure, but I need that pressure to jump. I love to perform in a field where everybody is strong, a lot of crowd. I think this is an extra push. Pressure in sports, can be positive and can actually help you. I needed that,” he said.

There was a nervous stage in Friday night’s final when Barshim twice knocked down the bar at 2.33 but he remained confident. “In a third attempt you simply say ‘I am just going to do it’. I am not thinking about tactics or technique. I just have to put everything I have now, to survive. That was going through my mind, use the power that I have, because that would be my last job. I don’t have to save energy,” he said.

Barshim to take time out before setting sights on Tokyo

Barshim said he needed time to rejuvenate before shifting his focus to next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“I need to relax to have a vacation, I need to be fat, eat everything that I can. There are a lot of things I want to do, take my mind at ease,” he said.

“The most important thing is to be healthy. I need to go back to my doctor, do a full check-up again, see how my leg is, when can we start, how ready I will be.

“Tokyo is a big target, but how can I approach it if I don’t really know yet. I need to speak with my coach, my team and see what the plan for the next season will be. My coach is a master. He has something in his mind,” said Barshim.

Meanwhile, Russia’s authorised neutral athlete MIkhail Akimenko, who won silver medal, also hailed Barshim as the world’s best.

“It was a great atmosphere tonight unlike in the qualification round and that was perfect. I am very happy for Mutaz, he managed to cope with all the injuries and came back strong,” Akimenko.

Akimenko’s compatriot Ilya Ivanyuk was delighted to win a bronze medal.

“In my second World Championships I won my first medal. I didn’t realise it up to now. I cannot say it is a dream come true but I am very glad I showed my best result with a personal best,” said Ivanyuk.

Source: The Peninsula Qatar

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