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Qatar’s most outstanding Olympian spoke to Doha News about his family with “sports DNA”, the preparations for the Paris Olympics and the celebrations of his brother Mashal.
There is no one like Mutaz Barshim, not in his family, not in Qatar, not in the Olympic high jump.
He is boy The Doha native made global headlines when he shared gold with fellow Tokyo 2020 high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi. He is an aspiring Olympian who runs in sporty sunglasses and defies gravity. He has become a national icon, setting the bar higher and clearing it every time. He is also the standout in a family that loves sports.
When Barshim stood on the podium in Paris, awaiting his fourth Olympic medal, he truly felt like he had reached the pinnacle of his career. Considering the injury he suffered in the qualifying rounds, at the age of 33, one would not have expected the Qatari “Golden Eagle” to take off and clear the bar to take bronze.
“This season has been difficult but the support from the home fans has been tremendous,” Barshim told Doha News. “You can’t let the fans down. You need to grit your teeth and keep going.”
Sitting in front of a hall full of reporters on Thursday, Barshim revealed the extent of the injury he sustained in the run-up to the Paris Olympics, which required a late-night flight to a doctor and last-minute rehabilitation to get him up and jumping. “Three days before the Olympic diving competition, I couldn’t even run,” he said.
This was also reflected in the qualifying round on August 7. After successfully completing the first three jumps, he fell to his knees in the preparation stage of the last jump. His calf muscles were tight and he was unable to jump.
The three-time world champion’s perfectly timed 2.27m jump in the final was his second-best jump and his best of the season, and he took bronze four days later.
Despite the Career-threatening ankle ligament injuries In 2018, that’s what makes it so special.
“It takes a lot of mental strength to come back from an injury and continue to give it your all,” he said. On Thursday, he hinted that more strength may be on display and that he plans to be as prepared as ever at next year’s world championships.
Barshim is now the most decorated athlete in the high jump in Qatar and at the Olympics, with one gold, two silvers and one bronze.
Growing up in Doha, he took up the sport at 15 simply because it looked fun, never imagining he would reach such heights.
Barshim started out training with his father, Eisa Mohammed Barshim, and then got into athletics. Almost all of his brothers and sisters followed their father into athletics, except for Mashar, who is now the main goalkeeper for the Qatar team.
“I grew up in a sports family and watched my dad play on TV, and he was my role model,” Barshim said of his father.
Beyond that, he’s outperformed expectations, even for a family with such a rich sporting legacy. “I wanted to be like him, but today, I feel like I’m better than him,” he quipped.
Barshim is now a father, and it was only fitting that he brought his son Joseph to the Stade de France in Paris to enjoy the applause.
However, his celebration was different this time. He wore a crown instead of a hat, a bronze medal around his neck, made a falcon-like gesture, and wore his signature sports sunglasses.
His sunglasses have become so symbolic of the occasion that they now appear at other high-profile celebrations, including those of his brother, goalkeeper Martial.
“He can’t steal my glasses anymore,” Barshim joked of his brother’s celebrations after winning the Asian Cup with Qatar earlier this year.
“But I love him and want him to continue to be successful – for me, it all starts with family.”
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