SPORT PAGES | 04-05 PAGE | 07 After making history Northern in Doha, Asher-Smith Superchargers ropepe in shifts focus to Stokes as The Tokyo Olympics Hundred launcheded Friday 4 October 2019 September 27 - October 6 Moment of truth: Barshim ready for biggest show on home soil FAWAD HUSSAIN THE PENINSULA HIGHHIGH JUMPJU FINAL AT DOHA WOLRDS Soon after easing into the men’s high StartsS at 8:15pm today jump final, Mutaz Essa Barshim rated himself the ‘favourite’ to win gold ForFor the fifirstr time since 2009 the athlete who leads the I am happy to compete medal. If the Qatari superstar marks the aannualnnual list has not jumped over 2.36 or higher. here and hopefully I will do highest leap today, he will not just make the hard job in the final. It the hosts proud but will also enter the From 20132013 until 2018 Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim consistently history books. brokebroke thethe 2.402.40 mark. is really great to jump in A victory today will make Barshim, front of home crowd, and who clinched gold medal at the 2017 Two-timeTwo-time champion Javier Sotomayor (CUB) has cleared with your family and wife in London World Championships, only the 2.40 outdoorsoutdoo or more on 17 occasions. Barshim leads the the stands, this has become second high jumper in the world to win ranks of tthoseh who are still active with 11, followed by BoBogdangdan BBondarenko (UKR) who has registered 7. very special. It is giving me two world titles. Cuban great Javier extra motivation: Barshim Sotomayor, who also holds the world 2.292.2 was enough for Syrian Majed El Dein Ghazal record of 2.45m, was the first high to medalmeda in 2017 but clearing the same height in jumper to do so. ququalifyingalify proved insufficient for Andrii Protsenko The stage looks set for Barshim after (UKR),(UKR( ), Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) and Fernando Ferreira to 2.35m to win the Europe-USA match he enjoyed a flawless run to the final, (BRA)(BRA to make it to the final. JaCorian Duffield (USA) in Minsk less than a month ago, has leaping to 2.17m, 2.22m, 2.27m and appeared as his toughest opponent. andand Protsenko also failed to reach the final in 2015 season best 2.29m on first attempts, and Authorised neutral athletes Ilya ddespitees jumping 2.29 in what it was the toughest that too with clear margins. Ivanyuk and Mikhail Akimenko have qualifyingqua session-along with the 2017 edition- in The 28-year-old Qatari displayed also enjoyed good season, topping tthehe history of the World Championships. a lot of confidence during the opening 2.33m and 2.31m. round, despite his difficult build up for OfOf those athletesa eligible to compete only 22 met the Andriy Protsenko of Ukraine, the the competition. fourth-place finisher at the 2016 Qatar’s Mutaz qualifyingqualifying standardstan of 2.30. Barshim’s perfect performance in Olympic Games, topped a 2.31m sea- Essa Barshim the first round has raised expectations IfIf Barshim wins the crown, he will match Sotomayor’s tally son’s best to win the Diamond League of home fans, who are expected to fill reacts after ofof two World CChampionships gold medals, but will still rank in August. the 48000-capacity Khalifa Interna- qualifying for the behindbehind him sincesin the Cuban has won two silvers to Barshim’s Ukraine’s Bogdan Bondarenko, the tional Stadium today to watch their hero men’s high jump just oneone.. 2013 world champion, who topped perform. And the lanky athlete hopes final on Tuesday. 2.31m earlier this season despite con- he will not let the fans down, promising tinuing struggles with injury also have his best show. Barshim suffered an injury last year thinking about the ordeal with gold in a personal best of 2.43m, has things in the potential to go big. Syria’s Majd “I am happy to compete here and that ruled him out for many events, fol- his sights. his favour as only four finalists have Eddin Ghazal, won the Asian title in hopefully I will do the hard job in the lowing a dream run in the 2017 season “I am happy, no complaints,” he successfully sailed over 2.33m this Doha in April with a leap of 2.31m will final. It is really great to jump in front during which he won every compe- said before tipping himself to retain season. also be eyeing a podium finish together. of home crowd, and with your family tition, and the IAAF World-Athlete-of- the crown. But, the Qatari can still face a lot of Abderrahman Samba is the only and wife in the stands, this has become the-Year award. But, the London “I’m always the favourite. It doesn’t resistance on his way to achieve glory. Qatari so far to clinch medal at the very special. It is giving me extra moti- Games bronze medallist and Rio matter where I compete,” he said. World leader Maksim Nedasekau, the ongoing championships with a bronze vation,” said Barshim. Olympics silver medalist, was not In today’s final, Barshim, who has 21-year-old Belarusian, who improved medal in men’s 400m hurdles. China’s Gong Lijiao competes in the Women’s Shot Put final during the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships at the Khalifa Bahrain's Salwa International Stadium in Doha, yesterday. Gong won the gold medal Eid Naser winning with a mark of 19.55m. the women's 400m final. Naser clocked a time of 48.14 secs to win her maiden World Championship title. 02 SPORT FRIDAY 4 OCTOBER 2019 September 27 - October 6 Action and celebration on Day 7 at packed KIS Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson reacts as she competes in the women’s shot put heptathlon heats, yesterday. FROM LEFT: Silver medalist Quentin Bigot of France and gold medalist Pawel Fajdek of Poland pose for a picture with bronze medalists Wojciech Nowicki (Poland) and Bence Halasz (Hungary) after a medal ceremony for men’s hammer throw, yesterday. PICTURES: ABDUL BASIT/THE PENINSULA AND AGENCIES Australia’s Cedric Darrell Hill of the US during Dubler in action men’s shot put event. during men’s decathlon pole vault at Khalifa International Stadium (KIS) yesterday. Poland’s Pawel Wiesiolek in action during decathlon pole Vault. BELOW: Fans watch proceedings on Day 7 of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 at the Khalifa International Stadium. INSET: China’s Gong Lijiao competes in the women’s shot put heats. An athlete during the women’s triple jump qualifying round. Athletes fear for livelihood with DL events at risk REUTERS Norway’s Ola Stunes Isene greatly depending on the country American discus thrower Valarie DOHA competes in the men’s discus where the event is held. Allman said of the Diamond throw final at the 2019 IAAF Yet winners of events on the League. Before he began competing in Athletics World Championships Next year they could IAAF World Challenge circuit Olympic champion shot lucrative Diamond League make $5,000 -- half of what a putter Michelle Carter predicts at the Khalifa International remove my biggest meetings, Norwegian discus Stadium in Doha on Monday. first-place finisher at a Diamond an exodus from her discipline if thrower Ola Stunes Isene moved income. I’m not mad League event receives. it is cut from the Diamond back to his parents’ home with at them but I hope The IAAF, the global gov- League programme. his girlfriend because he could erning body of athletics, said it “It’s going to be really hard not make a living from the sport. they can understand had held a series of meetings to keep women in the sport if “That’s not the best thing to throwers too: Ola with athletes so they “could they cannot financially provide do when you are in a rela- Stunes Isene express their views and ask for themselves, which has always tionship,” said the hulking questions about the changes to been an issue for field events,” 24-year-old. the Diamond League next year”. said Carter. Having earned 10,000 euros voting at the end of the day,” he “The aim is to enhance the Carter is one of the field ath- ($10,990) at Diamond League said. commercial and fan appeal of letes who has embarked on meetings this year, Stunes Isene “Hopefully they can hear our our global series, which ulti- projects on the side that could will move out again when he cry.” mately will benefit the athletes,” support her if she loses her returns to Norway from the Speculation is rife that field Daniel Stahl was equally frus- Diamond League champions the IAAF said in a statement. Diamond League income. World Athletics Championships events such as the discus and trated at the prospect of the dis- in every discipline receive prize The format of the Diamond She gives public speeches in Doha, yet his financial triple jump could be sidelined, cipline being removed from the money of $50,000. Eighth-place League would be reviewed at the and runs a girls’ sports camp freedom might not last. and some of the world’s top ath- Diamond League. finishers in the Diamond League end of each season, it added. aimed at empowering young A new Diamond League letes are objecting. “I think that it’s ridiculous,” final go home with $2,000. For many events there are no athletes. On her website, the format, which will be announced “Next year they could the Swede said.