Mutaz Essa Barshim holds a personal best of 2.43 meters in the high jump, a mark establishing him as the second highest jumper in history. Competing for Qatar, he mastered the Fosbury Flop technique to achieve a career spanning over a decade of international dominance, marked by multiple Olympic medals and three consecutive World Championship gold titles.
Early Development and Training
Born in 1991 in Doha, Qatar, Barshim was exposed to athletics early through his father, a former track and field athlete. While he initially explored running and long jumping, he shifted his focus to the high jump at age 15. In 2009, he began working with Polish-Swedish coach Stanisław Szczyrba, who became a central figure in his development. To optimize training during the European summer season, Barshim frequently trained in Warsaw, Poland, and Sweden.
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Barshim achieved rapid success in 2010 by winning gold at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships and the World Junior Championships in Moncton. By 2011, he captured titles at the Asian Athletics Championships in Kobe and the Military World Games in Rio de Janeiro. His performance at the 2010 Asian Junior Athletics Championships, where he cleared 2.31 meters, set a national record and a world-leading mark for junior athletes.
Olympic and Global Success
Barshim secured gold medals at the World Championships in 2017, 2019, and 2022. His Olympic trajectory saw him earn a full set of medals across four games. He took bronze in London 2012, later upgraded to silver following a doping disqualification. He claimed silver in Rio 2016, shared gold in Tokyo 2020, and earned another bronze in Paris 2024. Throughout his career, he has navigated significant physical challenges, including a stress fracture in his L5 lumbar vertebrae diagnosed in 2012.
Fast facts
- Born: 1991, Doha, Qatar
- Sport: High Jump
- Technique: Fosbury Flop
- Personal Best: 2.43 m
- Olympic Gold: Tokyo 2020
- World Championship Golds: 2017, 2019, 2022
Questions readers ask
What technique does Barshim use?
He uses the Fosbury Flop, which involves a backwards arch over the bar.
How many Olympic medals has he won?
He has won four Olympic medals: one gold, two silvers, and one bronze.
Achievements
- Competed at 2010 Asian Games, athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – men's high jump and athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – men's high jump
- Discipline: athletics
