Doha: Chasing his second straight Olympic gold, Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim said he will be ready for Saturday’s men’s high jump final following an injury scare during the qualification round at Stade de France in Paris yesterday. The three-time world champion started his campaign comfortably clearing 2.15m, 2.
20m and 2.24m in first attempts before he aborted his first attempt on 2.27m holding his left calf in an apparent cramping.
After an extensive treatment, Barshim recovered and cleared the height at the second attempt to ease into the final but he showed signs of discomfort. “I want to thank you all for your support and wishes. It was a minor problem and I am fit for Saturday’s final,” Barshim said in a short video clip shared by the Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF).
President of the Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) Mohammed Issa Al Fadala in a statement said the injury was not serious, adding the 33-year-old will be ready for the final. USA’s Shelby McEwen scaled 2.27m in first attempt to top qualifying Group A with South Korea’s Sanghyeok Woo and Japan’s Ryoichi Akamatsu being the other athletes to clear the height from the group besides Barshim.
Close friends and rivals on paper, Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, who famously shared a gold medal in Tokyo Olympic three years ago, were engaged in another warm moment during the qualifying round yesterday. As Barshim cramped out on the runway, Tamberi was the first person on his side helping him stretch the calf. Tamberi, who was hospitalised with kidney stones earlier this week, also reached the final from qualifying group B after leaping 2.
24m. He failed to clear the 2.27m mark in all the three attempts.
The Italian hoped to see himself and Barshim in action in the final. “I need him on the field,” Tamberi said. “I have to be fit myself but I want him to be there in the competition.
” New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr, who had two failed attempts at 2.20m, was the other athlete to clear 2.27m yesterday as he topped the Group B.
America’s world silver medallist JuVaughn Harrison failed to advance in the final after three fails on 2.24m. The men’s high jump final will begin at 8pm (Qatar time) on Saturday.
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