There was a time when Mutaz Essa Barshim chased heights. Now, as the curtain slowly begins to fall on one of athletics' greatest careers, he is chasing something far more enduring - legacy.
On the eve of Friday’s Doha Diamond League at Qatar Sports Club, the four-time Olympic high jump medallist and three-time world champion spoke not about medals or metres, but about ensuring that when he finally walks away from the runway, his name remains inseparable from the sport he transformed.
"I want to create a legacy. I want to separate myself from the pack. I want whenever I leave this sport, it won't be like I've done something - you cannot mention high jump without mentioning my name," Barshim said on Thursday, with the same effortless elegance that has long defined his high jump run-up.
For the Qatari icon, who turns 35 on June 24, Friday's competition is another step in what he openly described as "the final lap" of his extraordinary journey.
"I feel like I'm definitely on the final lap of my career. Just to make sure that cherry on top, it's tasty and shiny. The message now is legacy," he said.
Those words carry even greater significance after two injury-ravaged seasons that threatened to bring his legendary career to a premature end. Since claiming bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Barshim has battled recurring physical setbacks, limiting him to just two low-key competitions this year before returning to the global spotlight at the Doha Diamond League.
Yet, after months of rehabilitation, the most decorated athlete in Qatar's history is simply grateful to be back doing what he loves. "I'm happy to be back. It's been a long time since my last jump at 2.41m or something. Unfortunately, I was injured and couldn't do what I wanted for the last few seasons. But now I feel good, I feel healthy, and I just need to go out and do what I know best - jumping," Barshim said.
The uncertainty surrounding his form only adds to the intrigue. "When you compete, you kind of know where you are. Here, I have no idea, and I kind of missed that feeling. It's just going out there. It's still on the track and a lot of fun," he said.
Barshim has spent nearly two decades redefining excellence in the high jump. An Olympic champion after his unforgettable shared gold with Gianmarco Tamberi in Tokyo and the only man to win three world titles in the event, he has little left to prove.
He knows it too. "At the moment, it doesn't really matter. I've done so much. I can just step off the field," he said matter-of-factly.
But the fierce competitor inside him still demands one final challenge. Reflecting on his motivation during a lonely training session last week, Barshim admitted he questioned why he should keep pushing after conquering virtually everything the sport has to offer.
"I was alone and I was like, what's the reason? I've done that, won this, won that. What's the reason for me to step out today?" he recalled.
Then he found his answer.
"I was reading somewhere somebody said I'm that close to becoming the greatest, some historic mark as a high jumper. For me, that's the reason. That's why I'm here today. I'm going to make sure when I leave this high jump, when I leave track and field, it's going to be so difficult for the next person to come close to my legacy," Barshim said.
Statistics, he admits with a smile, are among the few things capable of reigniting his competitive fire.
"I like to read stuff that is statistical. People try to compare this and that. That's kind of triggering," he said.
Home has often brought out the very best in Barshim, none more memorable than his emotional world title defence in Doha in 2019 after returning from a serious ankle injury.
"If you've seen 2019, coming back from a very serious injury and being able to defend my title in front of my home crowd, it just shows you how much pure support can do. I need a little bit of blast for tomorrow," he said.
Friday's competition will be without Olympic and world champion Hamish Kerr after the New Zealander withdrew from the event. Reigning world indoor champion Oleh Doroshchuk, world bronze medallist Jan Stefela and a strong international field will feature, but for many inside Qatar Sports Club the spotlight will remain fixed on Qatar's greatest sporting hero.
Every appearance now carries the possibility that it could be his last. Asked whether next year's World Championships in Beijing could mark his farewell, Barshim refused to commit.
"Maybe. Nowadays every competition I take as my last. I'll make sure I'm doing my best and I'll make sure I enjoy it as well," said Barshim, who also left the door open to competing at 2026 Asian Games in Japan, which will be held from September 19 to October 4.
He recalled how he fought until the very last moment to compete at last year's World Championships in Tokyo despite unbearable pain before eventually pulling out.
"Many doctors told me it was impossible. But again, that mindset - yes, it's possible. I was with the team until the last day before jumping. In the end it wasn't possible. It was terrible pain. But I'm happy because it was about giving 110 percent. I didn't give up,” he said. "I guess, if it wasn't meant to be, it doesn't matter, because I put my effort. There is the World Championships in Beijing next year. Maybe, maybe I can compete in one more."
Barshim turns 35 next week, yet his ambitions remain remarkably unchanged. "The same objective. I want to be there. I want to perform. I want to create a legacy," said the legend as signed off.
