Photo credit: Official Instagram account of Mutaz Barshim
Doha, Qatar: After making history at the World Championships, Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim is set to resume his Diamond League campaign at the Weltklasse meeting in front of a sold-out Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, today.
The 32-year-old high jumper, who claimed bronze medal at Budapest 23 to become the first man to win five medals in the event, will renew his rivalry with Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, who clinched his maiden gold medal at the Worlds earlier this month.
Today’s high jump field also includes South Korea’s Woo Sanghyeok and Australia’s Brandon Starc besides Germany’s Tobias Potye.
In his previous Diamond League outing in London last month, Barshim finished second behind USA’s JuVaughn Harrison, who is not taking part in today’s meeting. The Qatari Olympic champion bagged win in Silesia ahead of the London meeting.
Both Barshim and Tamberi will be in the spotlight in today’s high jump contest with the later terming it a tough challenge.
“We are all here to perform at our best but for me it’s not easy because it’s difficult to sleep after you won a gold medal in the World Championships because I am not used to win at World Championships. Mutaz, probably, can win the day after because he has like thousands medal, not me,” Tamberi said at a press conference yesterday.
Apart from Tamberi, the Zurich meet features 13 new newly-crowned world champions with Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson headlining the track events.
The men’s 400m hurdles is also expected to throw up exciting contest with Norway’s three-time world champion and world record holder Karsten Warholm taking on rivals Rai Benjamin and Alison Dos Santos in the 400m hurdles. World silver medallist Kyron McMaster, CJ Allen and Trevor Bassitt will also feature in the race.
India’s world and Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra is among the other stars to be seen in action in Zurich.
