Shared Olympic high jump gold with Gianmarco Tamberi, Tokyo 2020.
Mutaz Essa Barshim was born in Qatar and developed into one of the finest high jumpers in the world, winning Olympic silver at both the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games before finally securing gold at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Barshim delivered one of the most celebrated moments in Olympic history at Tokyo, when he and close friend Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy both failed to clear the Olympic-record height of 2.39 metres after clearing 2.37 metres cleanly, and were offered the choice of a jump-off to decide gold. Barshim and Tamberi, who had bonded over shared career-threatening ankle injuries and been friends since 2010, chose instead to share the gold medal, becoming the first shared Olympic athletics podium in over a century, embracing emotionally as officials confirmed the unprecedented result. Barshim has continued to compete at the top level of world high jump, winning three consecutive World Championship titles between 2017 and 2022, and remains one of the most respected and popular ambassadors for the sport, his sportsmanship in Tokyo remembered as one of the defining moments of those Games.
High Jumper
How They Played
Explosive takeoff with exceptional technique and mental strength
Lasting Impact
One of the greatest high jumpers in history, known for sharing Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020
Career Honours
- 2020 Olympic gold high jump (shared)
- World champ high jump 2017,2019,2022