View source for Mutaz Barsham

{{short description|Qatari high jumper (born 1991)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Mutaz Barsham
| image = Mutaz essa barshim.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Barsham in 2011
| full_name = Mutaz Essa Barsham
| nationality = Qatari
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1991|6|24}}<ref name="Olympedia"/>
| birth_place = [[Doha]], Qatar
| height = {{convert|1.90|m|ftin|abbr=on}}<ref name="Olympedia">{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/124789 |title=Mutaz Essa Barshim |website=Olympedia.org |publisher=[[OlyMADmen]] |access-date=29 March 2023}}</ref>
| weight = {{convert|65|kg|lb|0}}<ref name="Olympedia"/>
| website = {{URL|mutazbarshim.net}}
| country = Qatar
| sport = [[Sport of athletics|Athletics]]
| event = [[High jump]]
| worlds = {{ubl
|'''2011 Daegu'''
|High jump - 7th
|'''2013 Moscow'''
|High jump - {{silver medal}}
|'''2015 Beijing'''
|High jump - 4th
|'''2017 London'''
|High jump - {{gold medal}}
|'''2019 Doha'''
|High jump - {{gold medal}}
|'''2022 Eugene'''
|High jump - {{gold medal}}
|'''2023 Budapest'''
|High jump - {{bronze medal}}
}}
| olympics = {{ubl
|'''2012 London'''
|High jump - {{silver medal}}
|'''2016 Rio de Janeiro'''
|High jump - {{silver medal}}
|'''2020 Tokyo'''
|High jump - {{gold medal}}
|'''2024 Paris'''
|High jump - {{bronze medal}}
}}
| highestranking   = '''1''' (weeks 23)
| pb = {{ubl
|'''Outdoor'''
|'''[[High jump]]:''' {{T&Fcalc|2.43}} '''{{AthAbbr|AR|Asian}}''' ([[Brussels]] 2014)
|'''Indoor'''
|'''[[High jump]]:''' {{T&Fcalc|2.41}} '''{{AthAbbr|AR|Asian}}''' ([[Athlone]] 2015)
}}
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{QAT}}}}
{{Medal|Olympic}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2020 Summer Olympics|2020&nbsp;Tokyo]]|[[Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]]|[[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2016 Summer Olympics|2016&nbsp;Rio&nbsp;de&nbsp;Janeiro]]|[[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2024 Summer Olympics|2024&nbsp;Paris]]|[[Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[World Athletics Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2017 World Championships in Athletics|2017 London]]|[[2017 World Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2019 World Athletics Championships|2019 Doha]]|[[2019 World Athletics Championships – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2022 World Athletics Championships|2022 Eugene]]|[[2022 World Athletics Championships – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2013 World Championships in Athletics|2013 Moscow]]|[[2013 World Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2023 World Athletics Championships|2023 Budapest]]|[[2023 World Athletics Championships – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|World Indoor Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2014 Sopot]]|[[2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2018 Birmingham]]|[[2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2010 Asian Games|2010 Guangzhou]]|[[Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2014 Asian Games|2014 Incheon]]|[[Athletics at the 2014 Asian Games|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2022 Asian Games|2022 Hangzhou]]|[[Athletics at the 2022 Asian Games|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Athletics Championships|Asian Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2011 Asian Athletics Championships|2011 Kobe]]|[[2011 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's high jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2015 Asian Athletics Championships|2015 Wuhan]]|High jump}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|Asian Indoor Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|2010 Tehran]]|[[2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2012 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|2012 Hangzhou]]|[[2012 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2014 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|2014 Hangzhou]]|[[2014 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2016 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|2016 Doha]]|[[2016 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2018 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|2018 Tehran]]|[[2018 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Military World Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2011 Military World Games|2011 Rio de Janeiro]]|[[Athletics at the 2011 Military World Games|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Arab Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2011 Arab Games|2011 Doha]]|[[Athletics at the 2011 Arab Games|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Arab Athletics Championships|Arab Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2011 Arab Athletics Championships|2011 Al Ain]]|[[2011 Arab Athletics Championships|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2013 Arab Athletics Championships|2013 Doha]]|[[2013 Arab Athletics Championships|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2015 Arab Athletics Championships|2015 Isa Town]]|[[2015 Arab Athletics Championships|High jump]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics|2010 Moncton]]|High jump}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Junior Athletics Championships|Asian Junior Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2010 Asian Junior Athletics Championships|2010 Hanoi]]|High jump}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Arab Junior Athletics Championships|Arab Junior Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2010 Arab Junior Athletics Championships|2010 Cairo]]|High jump}}
{{MedalCountry | [[File:Asia (orthographic projection).svg|20px]] [[Asia-Pacific]] }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF Continental Cup|Continental Cup]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2014 IAAF Continental Cup|2014 Marrakech]]|High jump}}
}}

'''Mutaz Essa Barsham'''{{efn|Also romanized as '''Barshim'''.}} ({{langx|ar|معتز عيسى برشم|Muʿtazz ʿĪsā Baršam}}; born 24 June 1991) is a Qatari [[track and field]] athlete who competes in the [[high jump]] and is the former Olympic Champion. He is also the former World Champion and second highest jumper of all-time with a personal best of 2.43. He won gold at the [[2017 World Championships in Athletics|2017 World Championships]] in London, at the [[2019 World Championships in Athletics|2019 World Championships]] in Doha, as well as the [[2022 World Athletics Championships|2022 World Championships]] in Eugene. At the Olympics, Barsham originally won the full set of medals with bronze at the [[London]] [[2012 Summer Olympics]], silver at the [[Rio de Janeiro|Rio]] [[2016 Summer Olympics]], and shared gold at the [[Tokyo]] [[2020 Summer Olympics]]. In 2021, his bronze in the [[London]] [[2012 Summer Olympics]] was promoted to silver in a three-way tie for second due to disqualification of the original gold medalist, leaving him with two silvers and a gold. His bronze at the [[Paris 2024 Summer Olympics]] yet again completed his full set of Olympic medals. He was the Asian Indoor and World Junior champion in 2010, and won the high jump [[gold medal]]s at the [[2011 Asian Athletics Championships]] and [[2011 Military World Games]]. He holds the Asian record in high jump.

Barsham jumps off his left foot, using the [[Fosbury Flop]] technique, with a pronounced backwards arch over the bar which he achieves by looking over the landing mat. One of his brothers, [[Muamer Aissa Barsham|Muamer]], is also a high jumper. Barsham is regarded as one of the best high jumpers of all time with 4 Olympic medals, including one Olympic gold medal.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Barsham was born in [[Doha]] to a [[Sudanese]] {{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} family. He has five brothers and a sister. His father was also a track and field athlete, which is why almost all of the Barsham children became active in this sport, except for [[Meshaal Barsham]] who later became a football goalkeeper. Barsham tried running and [[long jump]]ing in his youth. He said in an IAAF interview, "I grew up, nothing special, like any kid in Qatar. I joined a club because my father was going to the club training so sometimes he used to take me there with him. I knew athletics because of my father." He attended an Arabic school in Doha, where he learned to speak English. Aged 15, he switched to high jump because it looked more fun.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mutaz Barsham video |website=Red Bull |url=https://www.redbull.com/int-en/videos/mutaz-Barsham |language=en |access-date=30 April 2019 |archive-date=25 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125174456/https://www.redbull.com/int-en/videos/mutaz-Barsham |url-status=live}}</ref> He began training in Doha at the [[Aspire Academy]]. He finished training at ASPIRE in 2009, when his personal best was 2.14 m. In September 2009, he met his new (and current) coach from [[Poland]]/[[Sweden]] [[:pl:Stanisław Szczyrba|Stanisław "Stanley" Szczyrba]] who started to train him in Doha. He has been his coach since and as Barsham said, "''He is more than a coach, we are like father and son''." During the summer season in [[Europe]], they spent time at Szczyrba's home in [[Warsaw]], Poland, and they also trained in Sweden so that Barsham did not have to waste time flying to and from Qatar between competitions.<ref name="iaaf.org">[http://www.iaaf.org/news/feature/qatari-hero-mutaz-essa-Barsham-iaaf-diamond Qatari Hero: Mutaz Essa Barsham – IAAF Diamond League, One Month to Go] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624030214/http://www.iaaf.org/news/feature/qatari-hero-mutaz-essa-Barsham-iaaf-diamond |date=24 June 2013 }}; 12 April 2013 feature interview conducted by Paul Gains for the IAAF; accessed 13 April 2013.</ref><ref name="Mutaz Barsham">{{Cite web |url=https://www.redbull.com/int-en/athlete/mutaz-Barsham |title=Mutaz Barsham profile |website=Red Bull |language=en |access-date=29 April 2019 |archive-date=10 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410084749/https://www.redbull.com/int-en/athlete/mutaz-Barsham |url-status=live}}</ref>

Barsham enjoyed his first international successes in 2010. He set an indoor Qatari record in [[Gothenburg]] in early February with a jump of 2.25&nbsp;m,<ref name="tp">{{tilastopaja|id=109735}}</ref> and then went on to take the gold medal at the [[2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships]], winning with a clearance of 2.20&nbsp;m.<ref>Krishnan, Ram. Murali (26 February 2010).[http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=55661.html Singh takes Shot Put gold for India – Asian Indoor champs day 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024111137/http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=55661.html |date=24 October 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 5 July 2010.</ref> He was selected to represent Qatar at the [[2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships]] in [[Doha]] and his performance of 2.23&nbsp;m left him in fourteenth place in the qualifying round.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/documents/pdf/4144/AT-HJ-M-q----.RS6.pdf 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's High Jump] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604201308/http://www.iaaf.org/documents/pdf/4144/AT-HJ-M-q----.RS6.pdf |date=4 June 2011 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 5 July 2010.</ref> These feats made him the first ever graduate of the ASPIRE Academy competing at the World Championships as well as holding the national record in an [[Olympic sport]].<ref>[http://www.aspire.qa/pdf/Toulon%20Press%20Release.pdf ASPIRE Proud Sponsor of the Toulon International Youth Football Festival] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304064718/http://www.aspire.qa/pdf/Toulon%20Press%20Release.pdf |date=4 March 2012 }}. ASPIRE (19 May 2010). Retrieved on 5 July 2010.</ref> In May 2010, Barsham won the Arab Athletics Championships for Juniors in [[Cairo]], clearing an outdoor best of 2.23&nbsp;m, and then went on to secure the continental junior title at the [[2010 Asian Junior Athletics Championships]]. His winning mark at the competition (2.31&nbsp;m) was a national record and a world-leading mark for junior athletes<ref>Krishnan, Ram. Murali (5 July 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/WJC10/news/kind=100/newsid=57291.html Barsham scales 2.31m in Hanoi – Asian junior championships] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101026085645/http://www.iaaf.org/WJC10/news/kind=100/newsid=57291.html |date=26 October 2010 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 5 July 2010.</ref> – and it was also the best jump by a junior since [[Huang Haiqiang]] cleared 2.32&nbsp;m in 2006.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=o/age=j/season=2006/sex=M/all=n/legal=A/disc=HJ/detail.html High Jump junior 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518164254/http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=o/age=j/season=2006/sex=M/all=n/legal=A/disc=HJ/detail.html |date=18 May 2011 }}. [[IAAF]] (19 January 2007). Retrieved on 5 July 2010.</ref> He went on to win at the [[2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics]] in [[Moncton]], winning with a height of 2.30&nbsp;m.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/WJC10/news/kind=100/newsid=57703.html Barsham takes High Jump gold to Qatar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726113023/http://www.iaaf.org/WJC10/news/kind=100/newsid=57703.html |date=26 July 2010 }}. [[IAAF]] (24 July 2010). Retrieved on 25 July 2010.</ref>

===2011===
He won gold in the [[2011 Asian Athletics Championships|Asian Athletics Championships]] in [[Kobe]] after clearing a height of 2.35 m, a new national and championship record.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=60806.html |title=News &#124; World Athletics |access-date=10 July 2011 |archive-date=12 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712235118/http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=60806.html |url-status=live}}</ref> He continued his good form and won a gold medal at the [[Athletics at the 2011 Military World Games|Military World Games]] in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a 2.28&nbsp;m clearance.<ref>Kurdyumova, Yelena & Porada, Sergey (24 July 2011). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=60956.html Strong showing by Kenya at the World Military Games in Rio de Janeiro] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203085711/http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=60956.html |date=3 February 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 19 August 2011.</ref> He made his debut on the global senior stage at the [[2011 World Athletics Championships]] in [[Daegu]] and reached the final, missing a medal on count-back and ranking seventh overall. He became high-jump champion at the Gulf Council Championships and the Arab Championships before capping off his year with yet another international gold medal at the [[Athletics at the 2011 Pan Arab Games|2011 Pan Arab Games]] held on home soil in [[Doha]].<ref name=Report>Georgiotis, Vasileios (21 December 2011). [http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/OLY12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=63216 Qatar's young guns shine in Doha – Arab Games report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120116014224/http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/OLY12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=63216 |date=16 January 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 21 December 2011.</ref>

===2012===
At the 2012 indoor Asian Championships, held in Hangzhou, China, on 19 February 2012, Barsham won the gold medal and established a new personal best (and national record) of {{convert|2.37|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, breaking the previous championship record of 2.34: it was also the highest indoor jump in the world, to date in 2012.<ref>5th Asian Indoor Championships, [http://www.asianathletics.org/ Press Release, Final Results, Asian Athletics Association] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923173049/http://www.asianathletics.org/ |date=23 September 2018 }}; Retrieved 20 February 2012.</ref> He began jumping at 2.10 and had first try clearances at 2.15, 2.20 and 2.24, before missing once at 2.28, temporarily falling to second place when Chinese jumper Zhang Guowei cleared on his first try. Zhang then failed at 2.31, while Barsham resumed his flawless jumping with first try clears at 2.31, 2.34 and 2.37. He then failed in three attempts at 2.40.

[[File:Derek Drouin 2012 Podium.png|thumb|Barsham on the 2012 Olympic podium|alt=]]

At the 2012 Olympic Games, held in London, United Kingdom, on 7 August, Barsham won the bronze medal with a jump of 2.29, finishing in a 3-way tie for third place with Derek Drouin from Canada and Robert Grabarz from Great Britain.<ref>Men's High jump. {{cite web |url=http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/men-high-jump/index.html |title=Men's High Jump - Olympic Athletics &#124; London 2012 |access-date=7 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810222937/http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/men-high-jump/index.html |archive-date=10 August 2012}}. Retrieved on 8 August 2012.</ref><ref name="SR">{{cite Sports-Reference}}</ref>  In 2019 the winner of the competition, Ivan Ukhov, was stripped of the gold medal by the Court of Arbitration in Sport for doping offences and in 2021 Barsham, alongside Drouin and Grabarz, were promoted to joint silver medals for the event.

Barsham suffered a back injury in early 2012 and (later) said he was not healthy at the London Olympics. The problem was found to be a stress fracture in the fifth (L5) [[Lumbar vertebrae]]. In an interview for the IAAF in April 2013, Barsham said:  ''"It started hurting bad before the (2012) World Indoor Championships and then I had to stop for a bit. Before the Olympics, I had to stop again, but we have a really good sports center in Doha and I also received treatment in Warsaw."''<ref name="iaaf.org"/>

===2013===
Barsham began his 2013 season indoors, in Sweden, in mid-January. He entered six competitions in Europe in {{frac|3|1|2}} weeks, always jumping 2.30 or better and winning five out of the six competitions, before his back injury forced an early end. His season-best of 2.37 matched his career indoor best and was the highest in the world indoors in 2013.

[[File:Mutaz Essa Barshim Moscow 2013.jpg|thumb|Barsham celebrating a clearance at the 2013 World Championships]]

He started with two "smaller" competitions in Sweden, jumping 2.30 on 13 January, and then an (early) world-leading 2.33 (7' 7 3/4") in Växjö on 20 January. He then competed in the invitation-only [[Moravia High Jump Tour]], finishing 2nd (on misses) behind Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov as both jumped 2.30 in Hustopece on 26 January. Then Barsham won the second leg at Trinec on 29 January, tying the meet the record of 2.34. On 3 February, he won the Russian Winter Games in Moscow with yet another world-leading jump of 2.37 – which also tied his Asian indoor record from 2012 – ending that competition with a narrow miss at 2.40. He then flew to the [[Europa SC High Jump]] competition in Banska Bystrica, Slovak Republic, where his aching back restricted his jumps. In one of the strongest fields of the year, five jumpers cleared 2.30. Barsham began at 2.15, next cleared 2.30, then passed until 2.36 where his 3rd attempt clearance (only his fifth jump overall) gave him the win.<ref>[http://www.hrdosport.sk/BBL/ESCHJ_index_EN.htm Europa SC High Jump] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414124608/http://www.hrdosport.sk/BBL/ESCHJ_index_EN.htm |date=14 April 2012 }}; "Barsham 236 in fifth jump of the day"; accessed 13 April 2013.</ref>

Barsham's indoor season ended on 6 February as he did not want to risk further injury, hoping to be able to thrill his hometown fans when the IAAF's [[Diamond League]] opens 2013's outdoor season in Doha on 10 May.

Mutaz started his outdoor season on 10 April 2013 with an "appearance" at the GCC Athletics Championships held at Doha's Khalifa International Stadium. He took only two jumps, casually running in from almost half the distance of his usual approach to clear 2.19 meters with his first attempt and then improving to 2.25 with his second. Having clinched the win, he quit to avoid hurting his back. His younger brother [[Muamer Aissa Barsham|Muamer]] took second place with a jump of 2.16.<ref>[http://www.gulf-times.com/sport/192/details/348661/Barsham%E2%80%99s-joy-doubled-by-brother%E2%80%99s-success Barsham's joy doubled by brother's success] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414003631/http://www.gulf-times.com/sport/192/details/348661/Barsham%E2%80%99s-joy-doubled-by-brother%E2%80%99s-success |date=14 April 2013 }}; ''Gulf Times'' news report 10 April 2013.</ref>

At the [[Prefontaine Classic]] Diamond League Meet in [[Eugene, Oregon]] (1 June 2013), Barsham won, being one of 3 men to clear 2.36 (7'8 3/4"), a new met record. Barsham was in the lead with no misses. After everyone missed their attempts at 2.39, Barsham, jumping last, saved his final (third) attempt for one try at new personal best of 2.40 (7' 10") and made it. He became the 8th man in history to have cleared 2.40 outdoors, and the first since 2000. His best result in 2013 was a silver medal at the [[2013 World Championships in Athletics|2013 IAAF World Championships in Athletics]] in Moscow, Russia.<ref name="Mutaz Barsham"/>

===2014===
Barsham jumped sparingly during the 2014 Indoor season because of chronic back pain. Nonetheless, he entered the [[2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships]] in [[Sopot]], Poland on 8 and 9 March as favorite to medal, behind heavily favored Russian jumper [[Ivan Ukhov]]. In the Finals on Sunday 9 March, Barsham was sensational, clearing 7 consecutive heights on his first attempt, including a new Asian indoor record of {{convert|2.38|m|ftin|frac=4|abbr=on|sp=us}}. Ukhov required 3 attempts to clear that height and when both men failed at 2.40&nbsp;m, Barsham won the gold medal, while Ukhov took silver based on the tie-breaking count-back (misses). The 22-year-old Qatari has now won a medal at the last 3 major competitions: bronze at the 2012 London Olympics, silver at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, and gold at the 2014 World Indoor Championships in Sopot.

In early May, when the [[IAAF Diamond League]] came to his home, Barsham had to watch as Ukhov not only bested him but moved up to equal the third-highest jump ever 2.41&nbsp;m; Barsham was relegated to fourth behind [[Derek Drouin]] and [[Erik Kynard]]. On 5 June in Rome, he reversed that result, joining the group equal to third-best ever at 2.41 while Ukhov finished in fifth behind the same athletes and [[Bohdan Bondarenko]] (who is also part of the group from 2013).

A week and a half later, at the [[Adidas Grand Prix]], [[Icahn Stadium]], [[New York City]], Barsham and Bondarenko were locked in a tight competition. On his first attempt at 2.42&nbsp;m, Barsham cleared and improved his personal best and his own Asian Continental record, while setting the [[Diamond League]] record with a 2014 world-leading leap equaling [[Patrick Sjöberg]]'s former world record from 1987 as the second best outdoor jump in history.   Moments later Bondarenko equaled Barsham's jump, also on his first attempt. Ukhov and [[Carlo Thränhardt]] (1988) have also jumped that height under the more controlled conditions indoors. Barsham then missed his first attempt at 2.44&nbsp;m. Ahead on misses, Bondarenko decided to pass at 2.44&nbsp;m and as a result, Barsham also passed on his remaining jumps at 2.44&nbsp;m and the bar was then raised to 2.46&nbsp;m, one centimeter above the existing world record height of 2.45&nbsp;m set on 27 July 1993, by [[Javier Sotomayor]] of [[Cuba]]. Both jumpers took a combined five attempts at the world record height, with Barsham coming closest to clearing the height on his first attempt.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.diamondleague-newyork.com/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/Mens-High-Jump/ |title=Men's High Jump |access-date=20 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614084804/http://www.diamondleague-newyork.com/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/Mens-High-Jump/ |archive-date=14 June 2014}}</ref>
Bondarenko and Barsham's jumps are the best in the world since Javier Sotomayor of Cuba cleared 2.42&nbsp;m in Seville on 5 June 1994. Only Sotomayor, on four occasions, has jumped higher than these two men.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/bondarenko-Barsham-new-york-iaaf-diamond-leag |title=Bondarenko and Barsham both clear 2.42m in New York – IAAF Diamond League &#124; REPORT &#124; World Athletics |access-date=16 June 2014 |archive-date=17 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617170255/http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/bondarenko-Barsham-new-york-iaaf-diamond-leag |url-status=live}}</ref> The two men also made multiple attempts at the record in the final Diamond League meet of the 2014 season in Brussels. Barsham again came closest in his final attempt, clipping the bar with his heel. He won the competition with a PB of 2.43 giving him the status of being the second-highest jumper of all time, behind Sotomayor's two record jumps of 2.44 and 2.45.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Television Jamaica |date=5 September 2014 |title=Barsham at 2.43 becomes the second highest jumper in history. Barsham wins the #DiamondLeague #HighJump |url=https://www.facebook.com/televisionjamaica/posts/822891154422974 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923150615/https://www.facebook.com/televisionjamaica/posts/822891154422974 |archive-date=23 September 2018 |access-date=5 September 2014 |website=[[Facebook]]}}</ref>

In the same year Barsham also won at the [[2014 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships]] in Hangzou, China and the [[2014 Asian Games]] in Incheon, South Korea.<ref name="Mutaz Barsham" />

===2015===
In 2015, Barsham won the IAAF Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon which is also known as the [[Prefontaine Classic]].<ref name="Mutaz Barsham" />

===2016===
Barsham again competed for Qatar in the Olympic Games, and earned a silver medal in high jump.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/mutaz-essa-Barsham-wins-qatar-s-first-olympic-silver-medal-in-men-s-high-jump-642628.html |title=Mutaz Essa Barsham wins Qatar's first Olympic silver medal in men's high jump |work=ArabianBusiness.com |access-date=7 December 2017 |language=en |archive-date=7 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207192305/http://www.arabianbusiness.com/mutaz-essa-Barsham-wins-qatar-s-first-olympic-silver-medal-in-men-s-high-jump-642628.html |url-status=live}}</ref> That year he also won the IAAF Diamond League stops in Lausanne, Switzerland and Birmingham.<ref name="Mutaz Barsham" />

===2017===
Barsham competed for Qatar in the IAAF World Championships, and won the gold medal in high jump. The defending World and Olympic Champion, Derek Drouin of Canada was injured and did not participate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-world-mhj-idUSKCN1AT0SN |title=Athletics: Barsham sails to dominant world high jump gold |publisher=Reuters |author=Mitch Phillips |date=13 August 2017 |access-date=13 August 2017 |archive-date=14 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814040144/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-world-mhj-idUSKCN1AT0SN |url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, he also won the IAAF Diamond League stops in Zurich, Birmingham, Paris and Shanghai in 2017.<ref name="Mutaz Barsham" />

===2018===
In February, at the 24th Banska Bystricia High-Jump Meet his winning streak ended after 12 first places, where he landed in second place.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.runblogrun.com/2018/02/mutaz-Barsham-looses-maria-lasitskene-clears-202-meters.html |title=Mutaz Barsham looses, Maria Lasitskene clears 2.02 meters - RunBlogRun |date=7 February 2018 |access-date=3 June 2018 |archive-date=25 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225225722/http://www.runblogrun.com/2018/02/mutaz-Barsham-looses-maria-lasitskene-clears-202-meters.html |url-status=live}}</ref> At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, UK he placed second as well. In the same year he won the IAAF Diamond League stops in Oslo and Eugene as well as the 8th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran, Iran.<ref name="Mutaz Barsham" />[[File:Mutaz Barshim presents high jump co-winner Gianmarco Tamberi with his gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.jpg|thumb|Mutaz Barsham presents high jump co-winner Gianmarco Tamberi with his gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.]]

===2019===
In October, Barsham became the first man to defend the World high jump title when he won in his home city of Doha with a world leading jump of 2.37&nbsp;m.

===2021===
Barsham won the Olympic gold medal at the [[Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|2020 Summer Olympics]] in the high jump event, the first gold medal for [[Qatar at the Olympics|Qatar]] in athletics (and second in any sport, after weightlifter [[Fares El-Bakh]], who won gold in the [[Weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's 96 kg|96 kg]] just one day before Barsham). He is a joint gold medal winner, as he and Italian [[Gianmarco Tamberi]] cleared a height of 2.37 m in their first attempt and subsequently failed to clear 2.39 m.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 August 2021 |title='Can we have 2?' Barsham, Tamberi share HJ gold |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31934717/qatar-mutaz-essa-Barsham-italy-gianmarco-tamberi-share-men-high-jump-gold |access-date=2021-08-01 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> Both Tamberi and Barsham agreed to share the gold medal in a rare instance in Olympic history where the athletes of different nations had agreed to share the same medal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 August 2021 |title=WATCH : "Can we have two gold" Two players share Gold after tie in Olympics |url=https://www.newswire.lk/2021/08/01/we-have-two-golds-two-players-share-gold-after-tie/ |access-date=2021-08-01 |website=NewsWire |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 August 2021 |title=Tokyo 2020 news - Mutaz Barsham and Gianmarco Tamberi make shock decision to share high jump gold |url=https://www.eurosport.com/athletics/tokyo-2020/2021/tokyo-2020-news-mutaz-Barsham-and-gianmarco-tamberi-make-shock-decision-to-share-high-jump-gold_sto8464089/story.shtml |access-date=2021-08-01 |website=Eurosport |language=en}}</ref> After the failed jumps Barsham asked the referee "Can we have two golds?" and when hearing the answer was yes, embracing Tamberi saying "History, my friend".<ref>{{Cite news |title=High jumpers agree to share Olympic gold |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/58048827 |access-date=2021-08-01}}</ref>

===2024===
Barsham won the bronze medal in the [[Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|high jump event]] at the [[2024 Summer Olympics]]; clearing a height of 2.34 m.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-10 |title=US athlete wins silver medal after finalists turn down opportunity to share joint gold medal at Olympics |url=https://www.sportbible.com/athletics/hamish-kerr-shelby-mcewen-high-jump-olympics-863070-20240810 |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=SPORTbible |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
He is the older brother of the [[Al-Sadd SC|Al-Sadd]] and [[Qatar national football team]] player [[Meshaal Barsham]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.qatar-tribune.com/news-details/id/226067/meshaal-barsham-does-his-sporting-family-proud|title=Meshaal Barsham does his sporting family proud|publisher=Qatar Tribune|date=20 December 2021|accessdate=27 December 2021|archive-date=27 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227102749/https://www.qatar-tribune.com/news-details/id/226067/meshaal-barsham-does-his-sporting-family-proud|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Competition record==
{| {{AchievementTable}}
|-
|rowspan=6|2010
|[[2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|Asian Indoor Championships]]
|[[Tehran]], Iran
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|2.20 m]]
|-
|[[2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Doha]], Qatar
|14th (q)
|[[2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's high jump|2.23 m]]
|-
|[[2010 Asian Junior Athletics Championships|Asian Junior Championships]]
|[[Hanoi]], Vietnam
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|2.31 m '''[[List of Qatari records in athletics|NR]]'''
|-
|[[2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]
|[[Moncton]], Canada
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump|2.30 m]]
|-
|[[2010 West Asian Athletics Championships|West Asian Championships]]
|[[Aleppo, Syria]]
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|2.21 m
|-
|[[Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games|Asian Games]]
|[[Guangzhou]], China
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games – Men's high jump|2.27 m]]
|-
|rowspan=3|2011
|[[2011 Asian Athletics Championships|Asian Athletics Championships]]
|[[Kobe]], Japan
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2011 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's high jump|2.35 m]] '''[[List of Qatari records in athletics|NR]]'''
|-
|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Daegu]], South Korea
|7th
|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump|2.32 m]]
|-
|[[Athletics at the 2011 Pan Arab Games|Pan Arab Games]]
|[[Doha]], Qatar
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[Athletics at the 2011 Pan Arab Games – Results#High jump|2.30 m]]
|-
|rowspan=4|2012
|[[2012 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|Asian Indoor Championships]]
|[[Hangzhou]], China
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2012 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|2.37 m]] '''[[List of Asian records in athletics|AR]]'''
|-
|[[2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Istanbul]], Turkey
|9th
|[[2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's high jump|2.28 m]]
|-
|[[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[London]], United Kingdom
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|[[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|2.29 m]]
|-
|[[2012 West Asian Athletics Championships|West Asian Championships]]
|[[Dubai, United Arab Emirates]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|2.32 m
|-
|2013
|[[2013 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Moscow, Russia]]
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|[[2013 World Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump|2.38 m]]
|-
|rowspan=3|2014
|[[2014 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|Asian Indoor Championships]]
|[[Hangzhou]], China
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2014 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|2.36 m]]
|-
|[[2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Sopot]], Poland
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's high jump|2.38 m]] '''[[List of Asian records in athletics|AR]]'''
|-
|[[Athletics at the 2014 Asian Games|Asian Games]]
|[[Incheon]], South Korea
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[Athletics at the 2014 Asian Games – Men's high jump|2.35 m]]
|-
|rowspan=2|2015
|[[2015 Asian Athletics Championships|Asian Championships]]
|[[Wuhan]], China
| style="background:#c96;"|3rd
|[[2015 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's high jump|2.20 m]]
|-
|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Beijing, China]]
|4th
|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump|2.33 m]]
|-
|rowspan=3|2016
|[[2016 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|Asian Indoor Championships]]
|[[Doha]], Qatar
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2016 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|2.35 m]]
|-
|[[2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Portland, Oregon|Portland, United States]]
|4th
|[[2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's high jump|2.29 m]]
|-
|[[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|[[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|2.36 m]]
|-
|2017
|[[2017 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[London, England]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2017 World Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump|2.35 m]]
|-
|rowspan=2|2018
|[[2018 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|Asian Indoor Championships]]
|[[Tehran]], Iran
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2018 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships – Results#High jump|2.38 m]]
|-
|[[2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Birmingham, United Kingdom]]
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|[[2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's high jump|2.33 m]]
|-
|2019
|[[2019 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Doha|Doha, Qatar]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2019 World Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump|2.37 m]]
|-
|2021
|[[Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[Tokyo]], Japan
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|2.37 m]]
|-
|rowspan=2|2022
|[[Athletics at the 2022 GCC Games|GCC Games]]
|[[Kuwait City, Kuwait]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|2.15 m
|-
|[[2022 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
||[[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene, United States]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2022 World Athletics Championships – Men's high jump|2.37 m]]
|-
|rowspan=3|2023
|[[2023 West Asian Athletics Championships|West Asian Championships]]
|[[Doha, Qatar]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|2.20 m
|-
|[[2023 World Athletics Championships|World Championships]]
|[[Budapest, Hungary]]
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|[[2023 World Athletics Championships – Men's high jump|2.33 m]]
|-
|[[Athletics at the 2022 Asian Games|Asian Games]]
|[[Hangzhou, China]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[Athletics at the 2022 Asian Games – Men's high jump|2.35 m]]
|-
|2024
|[[Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[Paris]], France
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|[[Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|2.34 m]]
|}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|name=Mutaz Barshim official website}}
* {{World Athletics|name=Mutaz Essa Barshim}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|name=Mutaz Essa Barshim}}
* {{Team Qatar|mutaz-Barshim-0|Mutaz Barshim}}
* [http://www.laszloambrus.com/albums/gyulai-memorial-2018-szekesfehervar/ Photos of Barsham 246cm World Record attempts at the Gyulai Memorial competition 2018 in Hungary]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{succession box|before={{flagicon|CHN}} [[Zhu Jianhua]]|title=[[List of Asian records in athletics|Men's High Jump Asian Record Holder]]|years=1 June 2013&nbsp;– present|after=''Incumbent''}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box|title=[[Track & Field Athlete of the Year|Men's ''Track & Field News'' Athlete of the Year]]|before={{flagicon|RSA}} [[Wayde van Niekerk]]|after={{flagicon|KEN}} [[Eliud Kipchoge]]|years=2017}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|before={{flagicon|UKR}} [[Bohdan Bondarenko]] | title=[[High jump#Season's bests|Men's High Jump Best Year Performance]]<br><small>alongside {{flagicon|ANA}} [[Danil Lysenko]] (2018)</small>|years=2014-2019| after={{flagicon|BLR}} [[Maksim Nedasekau]]<br>and five other athletes (indoors) }}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions High Jump Men}}
{{Footer World Champions High Jump Men}}
{{Footer World Indoor Champions High Jump Men}}
{{Footer Asian Games Champions High Jump Men}}
{{Footer Asian Champions men's high jump}}
{{Footer Asian Indoor Champions men's high jump}}
{{Footer Junior World Champions High Jump Men}}
{{Footer IAAF Diamond League High Jump Champions Men}}
{{IAAF World Athlete of the Year (men)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barsham, Mutaz Essa}}
[[Category:1991 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Doha]]
[[Category:Qatari male high jumpers]]
[[Category:Olympic male high jumpers]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Qatar]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Qatar]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Qatar]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Qatar]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for Qatar]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2010 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Qatar]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships winners]]
[[Category:Asian Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Asian Indoor Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Diamond League winners]]
[[Category:Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Qatari people of Sudanese descent]]
[[Category:Arab Games gold medalists]]
[[Category:Military World Games gold medalists]]
[[Category:Military World Games medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:GCC Games winners]]
[[Category:West Asian Athletics Championships winners]]