Doha: Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim will sprint towards legend status as he seeks to break the longest standing world record in the history of the sport at the Rio Olympics.
With a personal best of 2.43m, Barshim is incredibly close to the 2.45m record set by Javier Sotomayor of Cuba in 1993 and breaking the record will strengthen Barshim’s position as the current indisputable champion in high jump.
Raised in Doha, Barshim’s story is one of persevering at a sport he loved and wanted to excel at. Through a combination of natural talent, strong support from his role-model father Essa, a competitive race-walker and Gulf Champion and fearless training from his coach Stanislaw Szczyrba, Barshim grew from a 14-year old determined athlete to a 24-year old bonafide champion with world records in his sights.
“You have to be crazy about the sport you do,” said Barshim. “I wasn’t a natural athlete. I was the worst in my athletics group at almost everything. But I kept coming back to training. I knew this is what I wanted to do. I’m now 24 years old, and my goal is to break the 2.45 metre world record and beyond. There is no limit.”
The importance of the occasion is not lost on Barshim, the first high jumper to come through the Gulf region and capture medals on the international stage. Entering a starry pantheon of sports superstars and securing a bronze medal in London in 2012, Barshim blazed a trail for athletes from the region who has found a strong role model in him.
Achieving a personal best of 2.43m in Brussels in 2014 – the second highest jump in history - he has set the stage for another world record this August.
Alongside Serena Williams, Gabby Douglas, Su Bingtian, Aries Merritt and Mo Farah, Barshim is one of a squad of athletes, about to make their mark this summer, whose journey can be followed via Nike on its social pages and news website. As part of the Unlimited campaign this summer, Mutaz also kick started his athletic journey by sharing a baby photo of himself on Instagram.