Barshim triumphed in the men’s high jump competition, where he cleared 2.40 meters on his third and final attempt, which resulted in him tying his own world leading mark this year.
He also attempted a new world record at 2.46 meters (in an effort to break Cuban high jumper Javier Sotomayor’s record which has stood since July of 1993), but was unsuccessful at all three attempts.
In his first of three attempts for the world record at 2.46 meters, Barshim was very close, but the bar fell off in the last split second, which was quite the disappointment. That athletic moment may be seen in the YouTube video below.
Throughout his respected career in high jump, Barshim is a two-time Olympic medalist, where he won the silver in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and the bronze medal in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.
Last year, Barshim won the gold medal at the 2017 World Championships in London with a clearance of 2.35 meters, and earlier this year, in March, he came in second place in the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, claiming the silver medal, with a jump of 2.33 meters (losing to Russian high jumper Danil Lysenko).
In 2017, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) honored Barshim as its “Male World Athlete of the Year.”
To learn more about esteemed high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim, check out his official website, and his Facebook page.
