Sunisa QatarTribune Qatar_Tribune Lee of the QatarTribuneChannel qatar_tribune USA wins Olympic all-around gold PAGE 10 FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2021 Athletics stars carry Qatar’s hopes TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK Tokyo Qatar’s hopes of winning an Olympic medal in Tokyo 2020 Olympics will rest on its athletics stars who will begin their campaign in the games on Friday. After winning the bronze medal in London 2012 Olym- pics and the silver medal in Rio 2016 Olympics, Qatar’s high jumper Mutaz Barshim has his sight now set on win- ning the gold medal in Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The two-time world cham- pion will participate in Men’s High Jump qualificationsto begin at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Friday. Barshim has scaled 2.40m 11 times since 2013 – only world record holder Javier Sotomayor, with 17, has more successful clear- ances at that formidable barrier – and with a 2.43m High jump in focus personal best, is the second- highest jumper of all time. The other Qatari medal contender Abderrahman Sam- as Barshim takes ba will be action on Friday. The 25-year-old Qatari middle-distance will begin his challenge in Men’s 400m centrestage heats at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. UTAZ Barshim’s A slight injury slowed Olympic journey him in 2019 but he regrouped seems to have a enough to take the bronze on logical progres- home soil at the World Cham- Msion. He hopes so, at least. pionships. Mnawari will face a stern test in the knockout stages of the of Switzerland on Sunday then Bronze in London (lat- Samba qualified for To- when she participates in Wom- men’s Olympic beach vol- they edged past Italy’s Adrian er upgraded to silver) in kyo 2020 Summer Olympics en’s 100m heats on Friday. leyball tournament, Qatar’s Carambula and Enrico Rossi 2012. Then silver in Rio in Games after winning the 400 On the other hand, Qa- Cherif Younousse and Ahmed on Wednesday 2016. Back-to-back world hurdles gold medal in the tar’s rower Tala Abujbara will Tijan will take on Jacob Gibb For his part, Qatar’s Mo- titles followed in 2017 and Shanghai Diamond League participate in Final E race of and Tri Bourne of USA at the hamed Al Rumaihi finished 2019, the latter in front of meeting 2019 with a world- women’s singles sculls event Shiokaze Park on Friday the men’s trap shooting quali- a vociferous home crowd in leading time of 47.27 seconds on Friday to conclude her Cherif and Ahmed began fying rounds in the 13th place Doha that capped a marve- and will arrive in Tokyo with a historic appearance in Tokyo their Olympic campaign with a with 121 points, just one point lous comeback from career- 48.26 season’s best. Olympics. 21-17, 21-16 victory over Adri- behind the last qualifier to the threatening injury. Gold is For her part, Bashayer Al After securing their spots an Heidrich and Mirco Gerson finals. the only place to go for the 30-year-old, who is widely considered the best high jumper of the past decade, if TRACK & FIELD SHOW AT TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS not of his generation. Barshim has scaled our years, 11 months and US athlete to win the event. the list, while defending Olympic 2.40m 11 times since 2013 nine days after the action 100m and 200m champion – only world record holder Fin Rio came to a close, Warholm takes to the track Thompson-Herah is just 0.01 Javier Sotomayor, with 17, Olympic Games athletics will Men’s 400m hurdles heats off her 10.70 PB from 2016 so has more successful clear- make its highly anticipated re- After two world title wins, this far this season. ances at that formidable turn at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium time Karsten Warholm will stand Meanwhile, Olympic and world barrier – and with a 2.43m on Friday. There is one final on a global start line and be 400m medallist Jackson, who personal best, is the second- – the men’s 10,000m – taking introduced as the world record- is concentrating on the shorter highest jumper of all time. Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim has scaled 2.40m 11 times since 2013 – place on the first day of the holder. In 2016, the Norwegian sprints this year, has run a PB But Barshim hasn’t only world record holder Javier Sotomayor, with 17, has more athletics programme, while a was just settling into his first of 10.77. The 100m entries jumped that high since a successful clearances at that formidable barrier – and with a series of heats and qualification full year as a 400m hurdles joining them in having dipped 2.40m clearance at the Gy- 2.43m personal best, is the second-highest jumper of all time. rounds will set the scene for all specialist. Rai Benjamin, at under 10.90 in 2021 are ulai Memorial in Szekesfe- that is to come. Here are five 18 and two years Warholm’s multiple world medallists Marie- hervar, Hungary, on 2 July son’s top jumpers, author- and sailed a lifetime best of things to follow on day one. junior, had just wrapped up his Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast and 2018. He later had the bar ised neutral athlete Ilya 8.47m in the long jump. That Mixed relay. Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare, raised to a would-be world Ivanyuk and Maksim Ne- made him the first US ath- while Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith record of 2.46m and came dasekau of Belarus, to put on lete to qualify for both events women competing against each has clocked 10.91. tantalisingly close on his first maximum pressure. since the legendary Jim other in any order they choose. try, grazing the bar slightly Ivanyuk topped a then- Thorpe in 1912. His 2.36m Fans will get an early taste of FIELD FOCUS on his way up before it fell, PB of 2.35m in Doha to take PB leap at the SEC champi- the new event on the first day of Men’s high jump, men’s discus, almost with hesitation, soft- surprise bronze. This year he onships has him third on the action, with the final set for the women’s triple jump, women’s ly to the ground. He would kicked off his outdoor season world list at the moment, so, Friday evening. shot put later characterise it as one of with a 2.37m PB on 17 May Harrison figures, why not The qualification rounds for the his best jumps ever. A decent and followed up with Wanda continue his extraordinary Sprint stars align men’s high jump, men’s discus, second try followed before he Diamond League victories in double duty in Tokyo? Women’s 100m heats women’s triple jump and wom- landed clutching his ankle Doha and Rome. His only off His busy four-day sched- The women’s 100m is an event en’s shot put all take place on after this third. The verdict? night came in his last com- ule kicks off with high jump on fire right now, with eight the first day (Thursday). Stars in Ruptured ligaments that petition, where he topped qualifying on Friday morning women having gone sub-10.90 action include Qatar’s two-time would end his season and just 2.25m in Monaco on an (30) then continues with long in 2021 and three athletes on world champion Mutaz Barshim cast doubt on a successful evening when most jumpers jump qualifying on Saturday the Tokyo entry list – Jamaica’s in the high jump, Sweden’s world title defence. seemed to struggle. evening (31) followed by the Men’s 10,000m: Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine world champion Daniel Stahl in When he returned to ac- Nedasekau, who finished high jump final on Sunday Thompson-Herah and Shericka the discus, Venezuela’s two-time tion in 2019, he competed fourth in Doha at just 21, is a night (1) and long jump fi- A new champion first year of NCAA competition. Jackson – all having run under world champion Yulimar Rojas in only three times prior to the much-improved jumper two nal on Monday morning, 15 Men’s 10,000m final In Tokyo they’ll co-star in one 10.80. Multiple global gold the triple jump and New Zea- World Championships, pro- years later. He had a particu- hours and 10 minutes later. With two-time winner Mo Farah of the Games’ most eagerly medallist Fraser-Pryce’s 10.63 land’s shot put star ducing modest results: a pair larly strong indoor season, Others to watch include missing from the field, a new awaited showdowns as two of to become the second-fastest Valerie Adams. of back-to-back 2.27m clear- capped by a 2.37m national authorised neutral athlete Olympic men’s 10,000m cham- the three fastest 400m hurdlers 100m sprinter of all time leads (worldathletics) ances and a 2.20m in Zu- indoor record to take the Mikhail Akimenko, the Doha pion will be crowned in Tokyo for of all-time. rich – just one month before European indoor title. He silver medallist who has the first time since 2012. Warholm – who ran 46.70 to Doha. Back home and on equalled that mark outdoors topped 2.33m twice this sea- Two Ugandan stars – world break Kevin Young’s long stand- centre stage, he performed in Szekesfehervar on 6 July, son and beat a strong field in record-holder Joshua Cheptegei ing world record in Oslo – goes admirably, staying alive with another national record.