Mutaz Essa Barshim poses with QAF Executive Director Khalifa Yousef Abdul Malik, coach Stanislaw Szczyrba, father Essa Mohamed Barshim and his young brothers at the Doha International Airport yesterday.
By Satya Rath/Doha
Mutaz Essa Barshim’s best jump stands at 2.40m, which he set at the Diamond League Meeting in Eugene, USA, in June last year. It was a new Asian record, which still stands.
At the World Indoor Championships, which concluded on Sunday at the Ergo Arena in Sopot, Poland, the Qatari high-jumper’s best was an effortless 2.38m. It was enough to land him the gold at the expense of Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov of Russia, who too managed to clear the same height but lost out to Barshim on count-back.
“In the end, it’s the medal that matters. Yes, maybe I could have done better than 2.38. But the conditions are different indoors. My aim was to win the gold -- that was the goal before I left for the championships – and I am happy I achieved it,” said a tired-looking Barshim, soon after landing in Doha yesterday evening.
Did, at any time, he feel any pressure, considering that Ukhov was hot on his heels all the time. “No. For me, life is all about pressure; it depends on how you tackle it. I was confident I could do it, I was jumping well, and I was getting better with each jump. So, no, I was never in any kind of pressure,” added the Olympic bronze medalist, who started with a modest 2.20m, and followed it up with 2.25m, 2.29m, 2.32m, 2.34m and 2.36m, culminating with the golden jump of 2.38.
The 22-year-old has now almost made it a habit of finishing on the podium at global championships. “All wins feel good, but this one feels more special. It’s my first indoor medal, it’s an Asian indoor record, and it’s a gold! I couldn’t have asked for more,” Barshim gushed.
His coach, Stanislaw ‘Stanley’ Szczyrba, feels Barshim has the ability to jump 2.50m in two-three years’ time. “He is an exceptional talent. His progression has been so natural; he has been improving all the time, and setting the bar higher with each outing. Yes, I strongly feel he can go up to 2.50 in two-three years. That’s our long-term target. Right now, it’s the Olympics. We are aiming for the gold there (Rio 2016), nothing less,” the Polish coach, who has with Barshim since 2009, said.
Barshim’s next jump would likely be at the IAAF Diamond League Meeting in Doha on May 9. “Right now we just train and train. We need to make continuous progress. The Doha meeting is our immediate goal. The training facilities at Al Sadd are great and the weather here right now is quite good,” Szczyrba added.
Barshim’s father, Essa Mohamed Barshim, and his two younger brothers were there at the airport to receive the champion athlete. Barshim senior, a middle distance runner himself in his youth, said he had an inkling that his son would return home with the gold.
“I don’t know why, but I had a feeling that he would do something special. I was watching the competition on television, and he looked so confident. I have been an athlete myself, so seeing the way he was jumping, the way he was focusing and concentrating before each jump, gave me the feeling that he would go on to win the gold. It’s a proud moment not just for me, but for the whole of Qatar. I am sure he will go on to bring more glory,” the proud father said.
The man of the moment, though, is not thinking that far at the moment. “Right now I need a good night’s sleep. The last few days have been quite hectic, and I feel quite tired. Right now, I just want to get home, fast,” signed off Barshim.
