Team Qatar’s 2017 World Champion, Diamond League Champion and World Athlete of the Year, Mutaz Barshim will be the headline name at this year’s Doha Diamond League as he once again kicks off his 2018 outdoor season in front of a home-crowd. Qatar’s best-ever athlete will ensure a phenomenal atmosphere inside Qatar Sports Club as he joins a host of Olympic and World Champions for an unmissable evening of world-class athletics on Friday, May 4.
Last year, Barshim was unstoppable as he became the first high jumper since 2004 to be unbeaten for an entire season, as well as the first high jumper and athlete from the Middle East to win the coveted IAAF Athlete of the Year Award. He will face stiff competition in Doha from 2017 World bronze medallist Majd Eddin Ghazal of Syria, fellow London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz of Great Britain, 2018 World Indoor bronze medallist Mateusz Przybylko of Germany, and 2014 World Indoor bronze medallist Andriy Protsenko of the Ukraine.
Speaking ahead of the competition, Barshim commented: “I always love competing in the Doha Diamond League in front of my fans, my family and my country. Last year was an amazing season but I know that I have more to give and I cannot wait for this year’s outdoor season to begin. My main aim in Doha is to win and I want to give the crowd a show so that we keep inspiring new athletes and new fans in Qatar and around the world. I encourage everyone to get their tickets and not miss out on an amazing night of athletics!”
Barshim was crowned Qatar’s greatest-ever athlete when he won Olympic silver in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, adding to his London 2012 Olympic bronze and 2014 World Indoor title. Barshim is the holder of the second highest jump in history after he cleared 2.43m in 2014 and came within 2cm of Javier Sotomayer’s longstanding world-record set in 1993. Barshim has now jumped over 2.40m for five consecutive seasons and will be looking to continue his dominant form into 2018.
Also competing for Team Qatar will be 21-year-old rising star, Mohamat Allamine Hamdi, who made his mark in 2016 with a bronze medal at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Poland, and followed this up with bronze in the recent 2018 Asian Indoor Championships in Tehran. The young and promising athlete who shares a coach with Barshim is hoping to continue to rise through the ranks, and with such a strong influence around him, he is certain to reap the benefits. Commenting on the Doha Diamond League, he said:
“It is important for all the young and aspiring athletes in Team Qatar to take every opportunity they get to make their presence felt in such world-class competitions. The Diamond League is an event where people can break through and make their mark. I am really looking forward to competing this year and absorb the amazing atmosphere. In the future I want to keep pushing and I know with Mutaz’s support, I can achieve great things”.
This year’s event will take place once again in Qatar Sports Club, with competition kicking off at 18:00. Other global superstars already announced include Olympic 100m and 200m Champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica, 200m World Champion Dafne Schippers of The Netherlands, 3000m World Champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya, Team Qatar’s Abderrahaman Samba who won last year’s Doha Diamond League 400m hurdles and will once again go up against Olympic Champion Kerron Clement of the USA, and Olympic and World Javelin Champions, Thomas Röhler and Johannes Vetter respectively, both of Germany.
Mutaz Barshim
