Mutaz Barshim successful at Moncton
A Qatari athlete currently only nineteen years of age, Mutaz Barshim is a specialist at high jump. Currently a national record holder with a personal best of 2.31 meters, Barshim has made his mark in the field of athletics in a significantly small amount of time. The current year has proven to be a tremendous one for his athletic year; he commenced the season with an indoor national record, sealing it with a jump of an impressive height of 2.25 meters.
The Asian Indoor Athletic Championships held shortly afterwards provided him with his first gold medal, this time with a jump aimed at 2.20 meters. Honourably selected as a member of the Qatari athletics squad of the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, he performed exceptionally well, this time displaying a jump of 2.23 meters. Much of this success is owed to ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence, where Mutaz Barshim first commenced his pursuits in the world of athletics. Arab Athletic Championship for juniors held in May this year in Cairo, provided this young aspiring athlete with yet another reason to rejoice, as he amazed everyone with an outdoor best of 2.23 meters.
His winning spree certainly did not come to an end here, as he gained better deserved recognition with a continental title at the 2010 Asian Junior Athletics Championships, a victory he sealed with a jump of 2.31 meters. This mark provided him with another distinction, as it is not only a national record, but also a world leading mark for other aspiring athletes. All such performances establish Mutaz Barshim as the youngest ever graduate of the ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence to both compete at the world championship forums and to be the holder of a national record for a sport that is amongst those performed at the Olympics.
Moncton provided another strong reason for jubilation as he won again, this time attaining 2.30 meters at his first attempt. However, he was not very pleased with his second and third attempts, which were marked at 2.32 meters. The event turned out to be pretty eventful, as Qatari Mutaz Barshim and American David Smith were tied in the lead, with every other athlete unfortunately missing their first two attempts at the high jump. In the third leg, only three athletes sailed over the 2.21 meters mark, with Naoto Tobe of Japan receiving a bronze medal. The bar height of 2.26 meters turned out to be pivotal, as David Smith was left unsuccessful, with Mutaz Barshim sprinting on his way to achieving another gold medal. With a gold medal clasped in Barshim’s possession, he requested for the high jump bar to be raised further to 2.30 meters, clearing it at the first attempt and receiving another reason to explode with joy.
The World Juniors at Moncton proved to be another achievement to add to Mutaz Barshim’s list, and provided him with a great source of motivation for future tournaments. Clearing the bar at his first attempt at a truly impressive height, is a feat that not only this promising athlete will cherish for the remainder of his life, but also a great source of encouragement at a time when his career has just started. With a level of consistency as displayed by Barshim, together with the athletic shrewdness and the perfect jumps, one can be certain that there will definitely be a lot more offered by him in the upcoming years.
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