Tokyo, Japan, May 10, 2021: Qatar’s world high jump champion Mutaz Essa Barshim warmed up for Tokyo 2020 by clearing 2.30 metres at an Olympic test event in the Japanese capital on Sunday, May 9.
Two-time world champion Barshim had to share the spoils with Japan’s indoor record-holder Naoto Tobe at the “Ready Steady Tokyo” World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series event to confirm he is reaching his peak for the Olympics.
Barshim who jumps off his left foot, using the Fosbury Flop technique, with a pronounced backwards arch over the bar, finished in joint first position with home favourite Tobe after neither athlete could prevail in a jump-off.
This was Barshim’s first foreign competition since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the cancellation and postponement of many international meets. Since retaining his world title on home soil in 2019, Barshim had competed just once, also in Doha, where he managed 2.25m in March this year.
Barshim is a two-time Olympic medallist after capturing bronze at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016.