Barshim to lead Qatar squad at World Athletics Championships in Tokyo

High jump icon Mutaz Barshim will headline Qatar’s participation at the IAAF World Championships in Tokyo from September 13 to 21.Barshim has won almost everything the sport has to offer over the past decade, including three world titles, multiple Diamond League crowns, and five Olympic medals – most memorably the gold he shared with Italian rival Gianmarco Tamberi at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Returning to the Japanese capital four years later, the Qatari high jumper will be aiming to extend his dominance with a fourth world crown.The Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) on Monday announced a 12-athlete squad for the championships, featuring Barshim, Abderrahman Samba, Ismail Dawood, Omar Dawood, Bassem Hemeida, Saif Mohammed, Ashraf Hussein, Ammar Ismail, Ibrahim Zakaria, Khaled Hussein, Abdulaziz Youssef and Ahmed Haroun.Samba, who claimed bronze in the 400m hurdles at Doha 2019, will be a key contender again alongside Hemeida, while the 4x400m relay team of Hussein, Hemeida, Dawood, and Ismail is also targeting the podium. The World Championships will gather more than 2,000 athletes from over 200 countries, competing across more than 100 medal events.Barshim, who captured high jump gold in London 2017, Doha 2019, and Eugene 2022, will be aiming for a fourth successive world crown. Samba, a bronze medalist at Doha 2019, will line up in the 400m hurdles alongside Hemeida, while the 4x400m relay team of Hussein, Hemeida, Dawood, and Ismail are also strong contenders for medals.The federation’s statement noted that Saif Mohammed, 23, will make his World Championships debut in the pole vault, while Omar Dawood competes in the 110m hurdles. Ammar Ismail, Khaled Hussein, Youssef Abdulaziz, and Ahmed Haroun will run in the 400m, with Ibrahim Zakaria contesting the 800m.The Tokyo World Championships will bring together more than 2,000 athletes from over 200 countries, competing for more than 100 medals across track and field events.