Doha: Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim 2.37m high jump provided the highlight of the Russian Winter meeting, an IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting, in Moscow on Sunday night.
The Qatari high jumper equalled his own Asian and Qatari indoor mark on his way to winning the gold medal in Russia.
Only local jumper Ivan Ilyichev was left in the competition when the bar went up to 2.30m but while the Russian found the personal best height too much for him, Qatar’s London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist cleared comfortably with his first attempt, as he had done at his three previous heights.
Barshim then had the bar put up to a 2013 world-leading height of 2.37m, which equalled his Asian indoor record from last year, and also went over with his first effort. Only at a meeting record 2.40m did he bring the bar down, on three occasions although his first attempt was very close.
He had arrived in Moscow aware that Russia’s Aleksiy Dmitrik had jumped 2.36m in the German city oif Arnstadt on Saturday.
“I told my coach that I’d certainly make it better,” joked the Qatari after he had succeeded in fulfilling his prophesy.
IIyichev was second with 2.27m, just one centimetre short of his best.
Great Britain’s Bleasdale, the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships bronze medallist who also finished sixth at Olympic Games, needed three attempts to clear 4.65m and lay third in the competition at that point, but then cleared 4.70m with her second attempt before going over 4.75m at the first time of asking in the Russian capital.
Three failures followed at 4.80m, but the 21-year-old had already done enough to win the competition ahead of Brazil’s 2011 World champion Fabiana Murer and Cuba’s 2012 Olympic Games silver medallist Yarisley Silva, who both cleared 4.65m with their first attempts but could then go no higher and were second and third respectively on countback.
Agencies
