Doha: Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim ended his highly successful Olympic career with a bronze medal, leaping to his season’s best of 2.34m in the high jump final at Stade de France on Saturday. New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr edged America’s McEwen Shelby in the jump-off to win gold medal after both failed to go beyond the 2.
36m mark. For Barshim, it was his fourth Olympic medal, having won silver medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games besides a famous gold medal triumph at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. The 33-year-old, who clinched an unprecedented three straight world titles, was hoping to make history by becoming the first high jump athlete to win two Olympic gold medals.
He got off to a soaring start clearing 2.22m, 2.27m, 2.
31m and 2.34m in first attempts before failing twice to clear 2.36m.
He raised the bar at 2.38m for his last attempt but failed again to settle for a bronze. The Qatar superstar prevailed over Stefano Sottile on countback with the Italian finishing fourth after clearing 2.
34m. Barshim last month had announced Paris will be his last Olympics. In the jump-off, both Kerr and Shelby failed to clear the heights of 2.
38m and 2.36m before the New Zealander sealed the title on 2.34m.
Meanwhile, it was heartbreak for joint Tokyo Olympics champion Gianmarco Tamberi, who was taken to hospital hours before the final. The Italian, who famously shared gold medal with Barshim at the Tokyo Olympics, clearly looked in discomfort as failed to clear 2.27m after sca.