Qatar’s Barshim to start his title defence today

Doha, Qatar: Qatari high jump superstar Mutaz Essa Barshim will start the defence of his world at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on Tuesday.

The qualification will start at 4.50 pm local time and the final is scheduled for Friday night. 

Barshim, who is also coming back from an injury like his compatriot Samba, will be keen to make an early impression that will give him confidence for the final.

Had Barshim been in his full flight, like he was in 2017, during which he was unstoppable, defending his world title would have been child's play for him as not many have touched any great heights this season.

But the ankle injury he suffered when he was going for a world record at the Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, in 2018 July has stopped his unbelievable progress.

“I thought it was worse because I never experienced so harsh a pain as that moment,” he said later. “So I thought I broke my bone. I thought, 'my foot is definitely broken'. We then found it wasn't broken but the ligaments were torn. It’s a little bit strange – at one moment I'm trying the world record and a few moments later I can't even walk.”

Barshim underwent surgery to repair the ruptured ligaments eight days later, and was initially expected to be out of action for three to four months. Instead, he only resumed light training just five months back.

Barshim's best mark of 2.43m is second only to Cuban legend Javier Sotomayor's world record 2.45 but most likely he would only need something close to 2.35 to win in Doha.

His toughest challenge is expected to come from Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus, who is the only athlete to clear 2.35 this season, and the likes of Majd Eddin Ghazal, Bohdan Bondarenko.

If Barshim can produce a little bit of his form, this world title is his for the taking.