Proud of his nation and its Olympic glory, draped in the colours of the Qatari team, our world champion Mutaz Barshim climbed to the summit of glory and the podium, embracing the high jump silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, in a historic scene that lays the foundation for a new era in Qatari sport through capable future champions of the generation of “Barshim, the symbol and role model” — a champion in every sense, made in Qatar. The podium was adorned by the falcon Mutaz, on a joyous celebratory evening full of Olympic glory, pride and honour experienced by the Qatari delegation at the heart of the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, attended by HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, head of the Qatari delegation taking part in the Rio 2016 Games. HE Major General Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad, president of the Qatar and Asian athletics federations and vice-president of the International Athletics Federation, presented our world champion Mutaz Barshim with the high jump silver medal, while Canada’s Derek received the gold medal and Ukraine’s Bohdan the bronze, amid overwhelming joy and delight among our Qatari sporting delegation in Rio and all lovers and fans of “the Qatari team” across the globe, as “the Qatari falcon Barshim” once again climbed the podium of Olympic honour and glory, adding a historic achievement for Qatari sport and the fifth medal in Qatar’s Olympic trophy cabinet for a future of prosperity and giving.
The joy of victory … and the crowning
Overflowing feelings of joy, delight, pride and honour at the achievement swept through the Qatari sporting delegation as they watched the medal ceremony for “world champion Mizo” on the Olympic podium as he was presented with the silver medal. As usual, Barshim greeted all the members of our sporting delegation with his optimistic and cheerful spirit, and also interacted with the Brazilian crowd who had backed him throughout the Games and helped him greatly in reaching the podium — Mizo is not one to forget the crowds, and he thanked them warmly for their support.
Silver of glory … a gift for “the pride of youth”
In a fine gesture expressing gratitude and appreciation, Olympic high jump giant Barshim honoured HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee, for his support and backing throughout his sporting career and especially in his preparation for the Olympics. Mizo presented the silver medal to His Excellency as soon as he stepped down from the podium, placing the silver medal around Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad’s neck, in a gesture that won admiration from our sporting delegation and confirms the fine character and precious quality of Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim, through his high morals, professional dedication and great sacrifices in raising his country’s flag high
Al Hamad .. historic moments for Qatari sport
Major General Dahlan Al Hamad, captain of the ship of Qatar’s mother of sports and vice-president of the International Athletics Federation, presented the coloured medals to the three champions and congratulated our champion Mizo from the Olympic podium, praising champion Mizo and describing him as an icon of Qatari sport and its Olympic pride, affirming that glorious Qatar is rich in talent and quality across a range of sports and not only “the bride of sports”, athletics. Al Hamad called for honest self-reflection to study our Olympic record, considering Qatar a model and example for Arabs and Asians, and said Qatar’s sporting flag must remain held high and flying.
“Barshim” a truly global icon
Following in the footsteps of greats such as Jamaica’s Bolt, Ethiopia’s retired Gebrselassie and Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva, our champion Mutaz Barshim is on the right path to becoming, without question, one of the icons of the mother of sports worldwide and an ambassador for the sport globally, earning a fair share of the sponsorship, marketing and promotion revenue of leading global companies, which study closely the qualities and specifications of a “promotional icon” from every angle — achievement, charisma, personal capabilities such as media appeal, and other qualities required of a “champion or star” who is outstanding both athletically and with the public, and who helps boost the financial returns for the sponsors or backers of his successful career.
A special taste for the fifth Olympic medal
Qatar’s fifth Olympic silver medal in the country’s Olympic history carries a special taste, coming after our Qatari champion Mutaz Barshim’s success in achieving the double — bronze in London 2012 and silver in Rio 2016. Mizo cleared the bar at a height of ( 2.36 m ) and finished runner-up behind Canada’s Derek Drouin, who registered a height of ( 2.38 m ) and took gold, while bronze went to Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko with a height of ( 2.33 m ). Barshim’s silver is the first for Qatari sport in the course of its participation in the Olympic Games, and the fifth medal overall after four bronzes, the first of which was won at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics by our retired champion runner Mohamed Sulaiman in the 1500 m race, then came the second bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, won by weightlifter Asaad Saeed Saif in the 105 kg category
At the London 2012 Olympics, both champion Mutaz Barshim and champion Nasser Al Attiyah succeeded in winning bronze medals in the high jump and skeet shooting competitions respectively. Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim is one of the talents to emerge from Aspire Academy, and his rise in high jump competition began in 2010, when he cleared 2.31 metres at youth level, and was crowned champion of the 2010 World Youth Championships in Canada as well, then won gold at the 2011 and 2014 Asian Athletics Championships and gold at the 2011 Arab Games. He finished runner-up at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, and won gold at the 2014 World Indoor Championships in Poland. Olympic champion Barshim also managed to record a notable mark of ( 2.40 m ) at a meeting in Eugene, in the United States of America — a mark surpassed by only four athletes in the history of the high jump. Barshim also holds another sporting achievement, being the owner of the second-best jump in the history of the high jump for the current generation, with a unique mark of ( 2.43 m ), which he recorded at a leg of the Diamond League, just 2 centimetres short of the world record held by Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor
.. Mutaz Barshim
My sporting ambitions … know no limits
I am proud to raise Qatar’s flag high
Our Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim is still living the joy and delight of his Olympic achievement and his historic bronze-and-silver double, and Barshim has become the star of the delegation and the sole centre of attention through requests for media interviews from various international, Arab and Brazilian media outlets. Mutaz Barshim presented HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee and head of our sporting delegation, with his Olympic silver medal as soon as he stepped down from the Olympic podium, in a wonderful gesture and high tribute to HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, head of the delegation, and his pivotal role in supporting and backing our champions and national teams without exception, encouraging and motivating everyone..
I am proud to honour my country
Mizo extended his deep thanks and gratitude to HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee and head of our sporting delegation, for all his support and backing, saying it is enough of an honour for him that His Excellency left the VIP stand and sat behind the high jump competition, encouraging and motivating him until, God willing, he achieved the silver medal, and that the memories of Rio will remain etched forever, or until he achieves a new achievement to honour his country at international events.
The medal is the least gift for Joaan
On his insistence on presenting HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad with the historic Olympic medal .. Mutaz said the silver medal is certainly the least gift that could be given, as a token of appreciation and thanks from him and on behalf of the members of our sporting delegation, to His Excellency for the effort and hardship he put in, setting aside his many commitments to stay with them in Rio, encouraging and supporting everyone to give their effort and best to honour the nation and carry its flag high.
Big ambitions
On the future, Mizo said .. there is no doubt we have turned the page on Rio, and we are now preparing, with my coach and the administrative, technical and medical staff, for what is to come in the way of major upcoming tasks and challenges, most notably four important milestones in my career which we place at the top of our priorities and future plans, namely ( the London 2017 outdoor World Championships, the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, the World Championships in Doha 2019, and finally the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ), all of which represent a roadmap for us, and we must focus and tailor the nature of our preparations for each championship in turn for the ideal build-up ahead of taking on any upcoming global test, and in my estimation our ambitions will be great, and we hope for success in enhancing the nation’s achievements and repaying our guardians and our dear fans.
Public support motivated me greatly
Barshim spoke of the most notable moments of preparation before contesting the finals, saying .. there was certainly great pressure, starting with the competitors and the circumstances around him, from results and demands to win gold, and the emotional charge from fans and family, and personal glory, in addition to a great international coach who does not accept complacency, mistakes or laziness in performing one’s duty, and so all of these things weighed on him, but thank God he was able, through patience and accumulated experience, to keep control of himself, stay patient and maintain high focus away from other influences, until he achieved second place and the silver medal, which is less than his ambition, but he says thank God for what was achieved, hoping to succeed in future in achieving more and honouring the Qatari people as a whole, and frankly he was very pleased with the level of public and community interaction with him and everyone’s prayers that God Almighty grant him success in achieving new Olympic glory for the nation, thank God, and here he would like to thank everyone for their support in helping him reach this stage, to serve his country and raise its flag high and flying at the Olympics.
Special thanks ..
Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim extended special thanks and high appreciation to Mr Khalifa Khamis, general supervisor of Qatar’s national athletics teams, for his continuous backing and support until he achieved this leap in performance and these Olympic achievements.
.. ongoing sacrifices
Our Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim has paid a heavy price for his professional sporting career , after graduating from the “Aspire” academy for sporting excellence he enrolled at a Dutch university, Shan, to continue his university studies in 2009 , but his packed schedule of international commitments stood in the way, and Barshim decided to postpone his university studies until later, once free from his international commitments. Barshim received a flood of invitations from well-known American universities to study there, whether full-time or by correspondence, but he turned them down and decided to focus on the high jump and achieving his goals, affirming that he would remain motivated to complete his university studies and attain the highest academic honours as well, especially as he graduated from Aspire with top grades, and it is worth noting that most of the great champions postpone the idea of university study until later, especially since their schedule of commitments and sporting obligations does not allow for the good academic achievement that fulfils that goal.
Lausanne and Brussels .. challenges ahead
Major upcoming challenges await Mutaz Barshim, as the season of the mother of sports worldwide continues, most notably our champion Barshim’s participation in the elite Diamond League meetings, with the first stop being the Lausanne Diamond League meeting in Switzerland, followed immediately by the Brussels meeting in Belgium.
