Such is the significance of the moment, people remember precisely where they were and exactly how they felt when Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi united to share the Olympic high jump gold in Tokyo.
Nine months have passed since that distinguished display of friendship, respect and top-class competition, but the emotion has not diminished. If anything, it has intensified, as the duo turn the page to start the next chapter in their tale of tenacity and solidarity.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t go anywhere without someone stopping me and telling me where they were, how they felt and what their reaction was, exactly at the time it happened,&rdquo; Barshim says with a smile. &ldquo;Somebody said they cried, somebody said they broke the TV. I&rsquo;m really glad that we could inspire so many people.&rdquo;
So much so that Qatar&rsquo;s Barshim and Italy&rsquo;s Tamberi were named winners of the World Athletics Inspiration Award at the end of last year, receiving recognition for that superb show of sportsmanship between two great friends and rivals. 
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 Now, with just four days until the opening meeting of the 2022 Wanda Diamond League series, the pair are preparing to reunite on the runway for the first time since Tokyo &ndash; first in Doha on Friday (13) and then the following month in Rome as they once again welcome each other to their home countries.
&ldquo;I celebrated the best moment of my life so far with Mutaz in Tokyo, but it&rsquo;s important to move on from that and focus on the new goals I&rsquo;ve set myself for the World and European Championships this summer,&rdquo; says 2021 Wanda Diamond League champion Tamberi, who spent a spell training in Qatar in March and April.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve enjoyed learning more about this great country. Every time I come here it feels like home because of my friendship with Mutaz and the warm welcome I&rsquo;ve received, so it means a lot to me to open my Diamond League campaign and summer season in Doha.
&ldquo;How high will I jump? I don't know, we'll see. We will evaluate in the coming days whether to compete with a full run or with nine steps.&rdquo;
The Golden Gala Pietro Mennea then takes place in Rome on 9 June &ndash; just five weeks out from the World Athletics Championships Oregon 22.
"Rome is a beautiful stage to better prepare for the World Championships,&rdquo; Tamberi adds. &ldquo;Having the Golden Gala before Eugene is essential for me.&rdquo; 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6256fc74c8759fb543082a43.jpg" alt="Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi" />
Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi (&copy; Getty Images / AFP)
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The outdoor head-to-head record between the two high jump stars currently stands at 10-4 in Barshim&rsquo;s favour, but the last time they met in Diamond League competition &ndash; at last year&rsquo;s Golden Gala &ndash; Tamberi had the upper hand, finishing third as Barshim was fifth.
They may not have things all their own way in Doha, either, as they will face joint world leaders Sanghyeok Woo and Hamish Kerr. Korea&rsquo;s Olympic fourth-place finisher Woo cleared 2.34m to win the world indoor title in Belgrade in March, while New Zealand&rsquo;s Kerr claimed joint bronze alongside Tamberi. 
<h2>Brothers in arms</h2>
The friendship between Barshim and Tamberi began over a decade ago, when their high jump talent took them to the 2010 World U20 Championships in Moncton, Canada. Barshim won that title and has gone on to claim five senior world medals &ndash; including three golds &ndash; along with his three Olympic medals. Tamberi, meanwhile, has become a world indoor and European champion, recently adding world indoor bronze to his CV at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62796854e37fa9aaed08c059.jpg" alt="Mutaz Barshim competes at the 2010 World U20 Championships in Moncton" />
Mutaz Barshim competes at the 2010 World U20 Championships in Moncton (&copy; Getty Images)
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But it has not all been plain sailing and central to their story is the support they have shown each other during the highs and &ndash; most significantly &ndash; the lows, particularly when it comes to their shared experience of career-threatening injury.
&ldquo;I think 99% of people thought it was impossible for me to achieve that gold medal in Tokyo,&rdquo; says Tamberi, the Italian record-holder with his best of 2.39m, who tore a ligament in his left ankle just weeks out from the Rio Olympics.
&ldquo;And now, if I saw that story from the outside, I would say that I agree! But it is a wonderful story with a magical ending. I always try to say that until the last day you have one chance, one opportunity &ndash; until the last day, it is not finished.&rdquo;
Barshim, who suffered the same injury in 2018, feels the same. &ldquo;When I got injured and I was laying in the hospital bed after surgery, you start thinking, &lsquo;am I ever going to be able to do what I love again?&rsquo;&rdquo; says the Qatari record-holder, whose PB of 2.43m puts him second on the world all-time list.
&ldquo;Something changed in me, and you start to appreciate things more and approach things differently. In that moment, that&rsquo;s what came to me.&rdquo;
In the highest-quality men's high jump competition in Olympic history, six athletes were still active when the bar went up to 2.39m inside Tokyo&rsquo;s National Stadium. Both Barshim and Tamberi had flawless performances up to 2.37m, but when neither were able to go two centimetres higher, the multiple Asian champion asked the judge a five-word question that electrified a global audience of millions.
&ldquo;Can we have two golds?&rdquo;
They barely waited for his reply as Tamberi leapt into his friend and rival&rsquo;s arms to celebrate. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/627968fc703d5c7696975c60.jpg" alt="Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi celebrate their joint Olympic high jump gold in Tokyo" />
Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi celebrate their joint Olympic high jump gold in Tokyo (&copy; Getty Images)
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&ldquo;It was such a genuine moment,&rdquo; explains Barshim. &ldquo;People love the fact that you can be so competitive and so selfish &ndash; because you have to have some selfishness in a positive way as we both want the best &ndash; but at the same time, we didn&rsquo;t forget the true spirit of sport.
&ldquo;That is what people really love. Winning Olympic gold, of course it is a great feeling, but that moment to share &ndash; it touched so many people&rsquo;s hearts.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We just looked into each other&rsquo;s eyes and in one tenth of a second, we decided,&rdquo; remembers Tamberi. &ldquo;After the Olympic Games, this big friendship became like family. He will forever be my brother.&rdquo;
Now the brothers in arms have a new target &ndash; the World Championships in Oregon in July.
&ldquo;We made history with our Olympic gold, but my focus is now entirely on defending my world title in Eugene later this summer,&rdquo; says Barshim. &ldquo;The men&rsquo;s high jump is currently at a very high standard. We must all continue to work hard if we&rsquo;re to push the boundaries of our sport.&rdquo;
The 30-year-old will be going for a third consecutive title after his wins in London in 2017 and on home soil in Doha in 2019, while Tamberi seeks the only major title missing from his collection.
But &ndash; as the Olympics in Tokyo proved &ndash; who says it has to be one or the other?
&ldquo;Of course, this year the main goal is the outdoor World Championships where I want to share the gold medal with Mutaz again,&rdquo; says 29-year-old Tamberi.
Whether or not history repeats in Oregon, the next chapter will be equally fascinating.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Nine months have passed since their joint Olympic triumph and now the friends and rivals are preparing to start their season in Doha.

From Tokyo to Oregon, the next chapter for Tamberi and Barshim begins in Doha

Joint Olympic high jump champions Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi &ndash; who provided one of the enduring images of the Tokyo Games &ndash; will reunite in competition at the Doha Diamond League on Friday 13 May, the opening meeting of the 2022 Wanda Diamond League series.
The pair, long-standing friends and rivals, have supported one another through the best and worst of times, not least when enduring career-threatening injuries in the years prior to their famous Olympic victory.
Double world champion Barshim was outstanding when winning global gold in Doha in 2019 to become the first man to successfully defend a world high jump title. Remarkably, it followed a devastating ankle injury in 2018. Twice an Olympic silver medallist (2012 and 2016), he is the Qatari record-holder with a best of 2.43m, making him the second-highest jumper of all time.
&ldquo;We made history with our Olympic gold, but my focus is now entirely on defending my world title in Eugene later this summer,&rdquo; said the 30-year-old. &ldquo;The men&rsquo;s high jump is currently at a very high standard. We must all continue to work hard if we&rsquo;re to push the boundaries of our sport. My training has been going well and I&rsquo;m looking forward to competing again.&rdquo;
Tamberi, the 2016 world indoor and European champion, is the Italian record-holder with a best of 2.39m. He was enjoying his best year ever when he suffered a horrific injury ahead of the Rio Games in 2016. His journey back to fitness was gradual and challenging, but he returned to medal-winning form with a European indoor title in Glasgow in 2019. More recently, he finished third at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade last month.
&ldquo;I celebrated the best moment of my life so far with Mutaz in Tokyo, but it&rsquo;s important to move on from that and focus on the new goals I&rsquo;ve set myself for the World and European Championships this summer,&rdquo; said the 2021 Wanda Diamond League champion. &ldquo;I made a late decision to compete at the World Indoors, so I was pleased to make the podium. I&rsquo;ve been training in Qatar since the end of March, and I&rsquo;ve enjoyed learning more about this great country. Every time I come here it feels like home because of my friendship with Mutaz and the warm welcome I&rsquo;ve received, so it means a lot to me to open my Diamond League campaign and summer season in Doha.&rdquo;
The 2022 Wanda Diamond League comprises 14 meetings in total, starting with Doha at the Qatar Sports Club on 13 May and concluding with a single final across two days in Zurich (7-8 September). Each meeting will be broadcast globally in a live two-hour programme.
<h2>De Grasse, Bromell and Blake bound for Birmingham</h2>
The men&rsquo;s 100m at the M&uuml;ller Birmingham Diamond League will showcase some of the fastest athletes in the world with Andre de Grasse, Trayvon Bromell, and Yohan Blake among the star names set to star at the second meeting of the 2022 Wanda Diamond League series on Saturday 21 May.
De Grasse, the Olympic 200m champion, took bronze in the 100m in Tokyo in a lifetime best of 9.89, a time he equalled as he finished second in last year&rsquo;s Diamond League final in Zurich. The 27-year-old Canadian will be looking to kick-start the big season ahead with the World Championships in Oregon in July followed by a potential return to Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games.
&ldquo;It will be great to race against such a world-class field in the UK at the M&uuml;ller Birmingham Diamond League next month,&rdquo; said De Grasse. &ldquo;2021 was a really strong year for me, winning three medals at the Olympic Games, so I am looking forward to starting my season strongly against the world&rsquo;s best at the Alexander Stadium.&rdquo;
Bromell, the 2015 world bronze medallist, will be keen to make up for missing out on the Olympic 100m final last year. The US sprinter, who won over 100m at the Diamond League meeting in Gateshead last July, was the fastest man over 100m in 2021, finishing the season strongly with a 9.76 PB in Nairobi in September.
&ldquo;The last time I competed in the UK I took the victory over 100m, so I will be looking to produce another strong performance for the British crowd at the end of May,&rdquo; said the 2016 world indoor 60m champion. &ldquo;With the World Athletics Championships taking place in Oregon in the summer, racing against such a competitive field is really important so I&rsquo;m looking forward to lining up against them.&rdquo;
Multiple global medallist Yohan Blake from Jamaica won the world title back in 2011. He remains the second fastest man ever over 100m with his lifetime best of 9.69 from 2012.
&ldquo;Birmingham holds some great memories for me, including my victory there at the Diamond League a few years ago,&rdquo; said Blake. &ldquo;The UK crowds are always incredible, so I&rsquo;m really pleased to be racing in front of them once again, and also get a chance to compete on the new track against a really strong field.&rdquo;

Strong 100m field also confirmed for Birmingham

Olympic champions Barshim and Tamberi to be reunited in Doha

Athletics is rarely more poetic than it was in Tokyo on Sunday night (1), when Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi &ndash; friends, rivals, brothers in the shared anguish of the same career-threatening injury &ndash; agreed to share the Olympic gold medal in the high jump having put in identical performances to see off all other opposition.
It&rsquo;s possible that neither of them would be in this position without the other.
Both of their careers have been in crisis at times during the last five years, and each time that one was down, the other was there to lift him up.
In his last competition before the Rio Olympic Games, at the Monaco Diamond League meeting, Tamberi was in career best form, clearing 2.39m and attempting to join Barshim as a 2.40m-plus jumper going into the Games. Then he tore a ligament in his left ankle, the injury so serious that it required immediate surgery and ruled him out of competing at the Olympics.
Tamberi has needed every one of those five years to get back to where he was before the injury. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/93966f5e-2b69-4f79-8aaf-42a7ad093917.png" alt="" width="100%" /> Gianmarco Tamberi competes at the Monaco Diamond League (&copy; Philippe Fitte)
 He recalled that when he started his comeback in 2017, it went badly. At his second competition, the Diamond League meeting in Paris, he no-heighted and was inconsolable, shutting himself in his hotel room and refusing to talk to anyone.
&ldquo;The day after, Mutaz started knocking on my room and he wouldn&rsquo;t go away," <a href="https://spikes.worldathletics.org/post/gianmarco-tamberi-my-friend-mutaz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tamberi explained in an interview with Spikes magazine</a>. "First I just wanted him to leave. He persisted and was shouting: 'Gimbo. Gimbo, please I want to talk to you.' So I gave in and let him in.
&ldquo;We talked. I cried in front of him. He tried to calm me down, and told me what he had to say.
&ldquo;'Don&rsquo;t try to rush it,' he kept telling me. 'You had a big injury, you&rsquo;re already back in the Diamond League. No one expected that. But now you need to take your time, don&rsquo;t expect too much too early from yourself. Just see what happens.'&rdquo;
A year later it was Tamberi&rsquo;s turn to offer his shoulder when Barshim sustained the exact same injury and had to undergo surgery, little more than a year before his hometown Doha was to host the World Athletics Championships.
They supported each other through the dark days of 2018.
Tamberi was making a slower than expected recovery from his injury. His body had been repaired but his mind was shattered by the experience.
Last month, when he returned to Monaco to compete, he revealed that he was afraid to jump for two years after his injury.
&ldquo;I was so close to my big dream (before the injury) and then I had to start a new career," he said.
&ldquo;It would have been better if I had that injury going down the stairs, because I was really scared of doing it again (while jumping).&rdquo;
His fear eroded his technique and he picked up bad habits that made it harder for him to perform at the highest level.
He kept working with his coach and father Marco, but it was Barshim&rsquo;s successful comeback to win the world title in Doha in 2019 that gave him much-needed hope. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/402beafe-a4f5-4196-8791-d4b92992ed55.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /> Mutaz Barshim celebrates successfully defending his world title in Doha&nbsp;(&copy; Getty Images) 
&ldquo;I was really happy for him that he won in Doha. He did it and I didn&rsquo;t," Tamberi said. "After one year he won the world championship. It motivated me. (I told myself) 'you can learn from him.'&rdquo;
Tamberi had much work to do to &ldquo;clean up the mistakes of 2017 and 2018 that I made because I was scared&rdquo; but he finally began to find his rhythm again this year.
He took the cast that stabilised his ankle after his surgery to Tokyo as a reminder of how far he had come since that devastating day, and used it to mark the start of his run up in the Olympic final.
&ldquo;The cast represents every day, every single day in the last five years which has taken me here," he said. &ldquo;Today it wasn&rsquo;t 'Half Beard', it wasn&rsquo;t white dyed hair who was out there, it was just me, Gimbo.&rdquo;
In an interesting twist on some of the myths about the nature of competition, it was through revealing their weaknesses to each other that rivals Barshim and Tamberi found their strength.
So they knew instantly what they would do when they were tied for the win at the end of the Olympic final and an official approached them to ask if they wanted to jump off for the title.
"Can we have two golds?" Barshim asked him.
"I look at him, he looks at me, and we know it. We just look at each other and we know, that is it, it is done. There is no need,&rdquo; Barshim said later.
Tamberi added: &ldquo;Neither of us wanted to take this immense joy away from the other, we didn&rsquo;t even need to discuss it, an eye contact and we both knew we wanted to share this gold. In fact, many times before we&rsquo;ve joked &lsquo;imagine if we could share an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo?&rsquo;" 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6106a3e4242dbd90615124e0.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /> Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi celebrate shared gold in Tokyo&nbsp;(&copy; Getty Images)
 Their friendship was forged through the worst times and now they have the unique chance to celebrate the best of times together.
"He is one of my best friends, not only on the track, but outside the track," Barshim said.
&ldquo;We work together. This is a dream come true. It is the true spirit, the sportsman spirit, and we are here delivering this message.
"We have been through a lot, the same injury, and we know how much it takes, physically and mentally, just to get back here. I appreciate what he has done, he appreciates what I have done. It is amazing."
There is unlikely to be a more heart-warming moment at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Nicole Jeffery for World Athletics

Athletics is rarely more poetic than it was in Tokyo on Sunday night, when Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi agreed to share the Olympic high jump gold medal.

Barshim and Tamberi, an incredible story of friendship and shared gold

The finest high jump duel in Olympic history ended in the most appropriate way imaginable: with Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi sharing the gold medal in Tokyo.
Barshim, the two-time defending world champion and Tamberi, the 2016 world indoor champion and reigning European champion indoors, sailed through the competition on Sunday (1) without a miss through to 2.37m, Barshim over six heights and Tamberi seven.
After each missed three times at 2.39m, they met briefly with an official, and decided there would be no need for a jump off. The medal and title of Olympic champion would be shared &ndash; just like the similar roads that brought two of the finest high jumpers of their generation to this historic moment at a one-of-a-kind Olympic Games at Tokyo&rsquo;s National Stadium. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6106a48a242dbd90615124e6.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
 Five years ago, Tamberi, a 2.39m jumper, tore a ligament in his left ankle when attempting to top 2.41m at the Monaco Diamond League meeting just three weeks before the Rio Games where he would have started as one of the favourites.
In July of 2018, Barshim tore ankle ligaments while attempting to break the world record with a leap at 2.46 in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.
Barshim didn't jump for the next 11 months but worked his way back into contention to successfully defend his world title before a delighted home crowd in Doha. Tamberi too was sidelined from competition for 11 months, but with a more gradual return to the event's upper echelon.
Those career-threatening injuries seemed part a distant past when the pair took to the stage today, a distance made even farther when the global coronavirus pandemic postponed the Olympic Games, giving each a crucial extra year to find their previous form.
&ldquo;After my injuries I just wanted to come back, but now I have this gold, it's incredible. I dreamed of this so many times,&rdquo; said Tamberi, who was also one of the first to congratulate 100m champion Marcell Jacobs, whose shock victory capped one of the finest evenings in Italian athletics history. &ldquo;I was told in 2016 just before Rio there was a risk I wouldn't be able to compete any more. It's been a long journey.&rdquo;
"It is amazing, this is a dream I don't want to wake up from,&rdquo; said Barshim, who competed just four times this season with just a modest 2.30m season&rsquo;s best to his credit. "I have been through a lot. It's been five years that I have been waiting, with injuries and a lot of setbacks. But we are here today sharing this moment and all the sacrifices. It's really worth it now in this moment.&rdquo;
That showed as the pair embraced, just before a double celebration ensued, Barshim jumping into the arms of his coach, Tamberi dropping to the track on his knees next to the cast he wore after his 2016 ligament surgery. On it he wrote: &lsquo;My road to Tokyo&rsquo;. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6106c00cb6128dcc8c8f3a96.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
 For Tamberi, the end of that road began at 2.19m and for Barshim at 2.24m. Their successful clearances at 2.37 was an historic first; never had two jumpers topped that height at an Olympic Games.
But they weren't there alone. They just took the quickest route.
Six men were still jumping at 2.39m: Tamberi and Barshim; Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus who topped 2.37m after a miss at 2.35m; Sanghyeok Woo of Korea and Australian Brandon Starc who cleared 2.35m; and US champion JuVaughn Harrison, who scaled 2.33m and passed his way to the ultimate height.
Nedasekau, who produced the nearest miss at 2.39m, was forced to settle for bronze while Woo clinched a surprise fourth place finish after his inspired performance, beating Starc on countback. The 25-year-old Woo, who jumped to the world U18 title in 2013, improved his 2.30m PB twice on the night, first with a second attempt clearance at 2.33m and again after first attempt success at 2.35m.
Authorised neutral athlete Mikhail Akimenko was sixth on countback over Harrison, after both topped out at 2.33m. Harrison returns to action in the men's long jump final on Monday morning.
Bob Ramsak for World Athletics
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">MEN'S HIGH JUMP MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 65%; background-color: #e9c968;">Mutaz Barshim 🇶🇦 QAT</td>
<td style="width: 25%; background-color: #e9c968;">2.37m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 65%; background-color: #e9c968;">Gianmarco Tamberi 🇮🇹 ITA</td>
<td style="width: 25%; background-color: #e9c968;">2.37m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 65%; background-color: #bd895e;">Maksim Nedasekau 🇧🇾 BLR</td>
<td style="width: 25%; background-color: #bd895e;">2.37m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/results/men/high-jump/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The finest high jump duel in Olympic history ended with Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi both getting gold.

Barshim and Tamberi share high jump success in Tokyo

Two-time world champion Mutaz Barshim, world record-holder Mondo Duplantis and&nbsp;double European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen&nbsp;will be among the athletes in Athletissima action when the Wanda Diamond League makes its 10th stop of the season in Lausanne on 26 August.
Qatar&rsquo;s Barshim will highlight the men&rsquo;s high jump, which is being held for the first time in the city centre as the &ldquo;City Event&rdquo; the day before the main programme. There he will be joined by the Swiss record-holder, Loic Gasch.
Duplantis has promised to make the Lausanne meeting a priority following the Tokyo Olympics. The Swedish 21-year-old has fond memories of his last appearance, in 2020, when he jumped 6.07m to win an enthralling duel against the USA&rsquo;s two-time world champion Sam Kendricks (6.02m) during a competition organised in the city centre. This year the competition will once again take place in the stadium, where Duplantis will no doubt be keen to tackle, at the very least, the stadium record held by Piotr Lisek (6.01m).
Ingebrigtsen is set to highlight the 3000m, which could well see Mohammed Mourhit's European record of 7:26.62 fall. Ingebrigtsen already holds the continental records in the 1500m and 5000m, having broken Mourhit&rsquo;s mark in the longer event in Florence. In Lausanne, the Norwegian will have the support of his brother Filip and pace-setting Wavelight technology, which will be used for the first time at Athletissima.
The women's high jump will provide another opportunity for progression for the new star of Swiss athletics, Salome Lang, who recently broke the Swiss record with a jump of 1.97m to qualify for Tokyo. The Swiss record-holder in the 110m hurdles, Jason Joseph, has also confirmed his participation in Lausanne.
Organisers for World Athletics

Mutaz Barshim, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Mondo Duplantis will be among the athletes in Athletissima action when the Wanda Diamond League makes its 10th stop of the season in Lausanne on 26 August.

Barshim, Duplantis, Ingebrigtsen and Lang in Lausanne

While the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha on Friday (28) is an important step for many athletes on the road to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, for Mutaz Barshim it also represents a key milestone in his career.
It is a decade since the Qatari high jump star made his Diamond League debut on home soil, clearing 2.31m as a 19-year-old. Since then he has increased his best to 2.43m, just 2cm off Javier Sotomayor&rsquo;s world record, and among his many medals are two world outdoor titles, as he returned after injury to claim his second in Doha in 2019.
&ldquo;In 2011 it was my debut here in Doha &ndash; that was my first Diamond League,&rdquo; explained Barshim at the pre-event press conference.
&ldquo;I remember when we started, I wasn&rsquo;t that good in my technical performance. My coach said &lsquo;you have to change that if you want to jump at a high level for 10 years&rsquo;. In order to perform, you need to put in the work, and if you can&rsquo;t put in the work, it&rsquo;s not going to happen. If you have managed to stay healthy, anything is possible.&rdquo;
Asked whether 2.45m might be possible, he replied: &ldquo;I think 2.47m is possible, if you manage to stay healthy.
&ldquo;I want to be remembered,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I want to make sure that you can never mention high jump without mentioning my name. I want to set an example. I know there are a lot of kids out there who have the same passion and dreams.&rdquo;
Legacy was a hot topic at the press conference on Thursday, and among the athletes returning to Doha for the first time since the 2019 World Athletics Championships was the USA&rsquo;s Rai Benjamin, who claimed 400m hurdles silver and 4x400m gold in Qatar&rsquo;s capital. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/c2abcdb3-5625-4740-b667-4efd2f85b328.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
 &ldquo;I would like to be the greatest 400m hurdler ever,&rdquo; said the 23-year-old, who sits third on the world all-time list with his 46.98 PB. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big ask and it&rsquo;s going to take a lot over the next couple of years, but I&rsquo;m just getting started. I definitely want to be remembered, not just in my event but in other events too. I want to be the most versatile track and field athlete anyone has ever seen.&rdquo;
When it comes to versatility, Benjamin added that he hopes to double up at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see what happens and if I decide to run the 200m or the 400m (as well as the 400m hurdles),&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Whatever works best on the schedule, I definitely want to take a shot at it.&rdquo;
His 2019 silver was claimed ahead of Qatar&rsquo;s Abderrahman Samba, whose PB also stands at 46.98. The pair will go head-to-head on Friday, and looking ahead to the rematch, Benjamin added: &ldquo;I know what type of shape I am in and what I&rsquo;m capable of doing this weekend but in track you have to have a short memory. In 2019 Samba wasn&rsquo;t healthy, I wasn&rsquo;t healthy - it was just a matter of getting that confidence and having the support to show up to the final and actually run. We weren&rsquo;t in the best of shape and every time we have raced each other we have run really well, so we&rsquo;ll see what happens. I know it&rsquo;s a big race and everyone is excited but I just pray that we finish healthy, we run fast and set our sights on Tokyo.&rdquo;
For Samba, who will be contesting the 400m hurdles for the first time since that world final, all eyes are also on the Olympics. &ldquo;Friday will be a great start for me to push for my ambition in Tokyo,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I am focused on Tokyo and will keep an eye on the podium.&rdquo; 
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<h3>Fraser-Pryce seeks sub-10.70</h3>
Despite everything Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has already achieved, the nine-time world gold medallist remains driven by her hunt for faster times. After battling the wind and rain to finish fourth at the first Diamond League meeting of the season in Gateshead, the Jamaican sprint great will be hoping to make the most of the more favourable Doha conditions to work towards her aim of a sub-10.70 100m and a medal in Tokyo.
&ldquo;Now being 34, I am intentional about my goals and one of those intentions is definitely to run below 10.70,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Hopefully I can put some solid races together this season and get that done.
&ldquo;The harder the competitions are, the better I am at performing. I like a challenge, I like it when the competition is hard. When you're at a Diamond League you know the field is going to be good and it's going to be solid.&rdquo;
But times and medals are not her only motivation.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m passionate about community,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;When I was growing up I didn&rsquo;t have a lot of role models so I am passionate about going into my community and providing hope and inspiration to the young girls and boys.&rdquo; 
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 Kenya&rsquo;s Timothy Cheruiyot expressed a similar wish, as he sat alongside Fraser-Pryce ahead of making his season opener in the 1500m.
&ldquo;My passion is to nurture young athletes in my community so that people at home can remember me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I hope I will open clubs so young athletes can train there.&rdquo;
After his world 1500m title win in 2019, he raced the 800m in Doha last September, and added: &ldquo;To be back here is very important to me
&ldquo;The 1500m is very competitive worldwide. I need to work hard and focus on the Olympics because now I am in good form.&rdquo;
The women&rsquo;s pole vault is also set to be highly competitive and Friday&rsquo;s competition will see the three 2019 world medallists &ndash; champion Anzhelika Sidorova, runner-up Sandi Morris and bronze medallist Katerina Stefanidi &ndash; clash once again.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited because this is the first time we are all seeing each other again in person and it just so happens to be back here in Doha where we last met,&rdquo; said the USA&rsquo;s world indoor champion Morris. &ldquo;I have no doubt that we are going to bring out the best in one another.&rdquo;
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Photos by Dan Vernon

While the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha on Friday (28) is an important step for many athletes on the road to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, for Mutaz Barshim it also represents a key milestone in his career.

Barshim, Benjamin and Fraser-Pryce talk legacy as they take steps towards Tokyo in Doha

Double world champion Sifan Hassan and Olympic gold medallist Faith Kipyegon will go head-to-head over 1500m at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, a Wanda Diamond League meeting, on 10 June.
Two-time world high jump champion Mutaz Barshim and Olympic pole vault gold medallist Katerina Stefanidi are also among the latest athletes announced for the event, as they look to fly high in Florence.
Hassan opened her season with a 14:35.34 5000m and 2:01.54 800m in the USA earlier this month and in Italy she will race over the distance at which she set the meeting record of 3:56.22 in 2017.
The Dutch world 1500m and 5000m gold medallist will face Kenya&rsquo;s 2017 world 1500m champion Kipyegon, who claimed 2019 world silver behind Hassan in Doha, plus Kenya&rsquo;s world 3000m steeplechase record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech, who improved the world 5km record in February, and Britain&rsquo;s European 1500m champion Laura Muir.
Barshim set the men&rsquo;s pole vault meeting record of 2.41m when the event was held in Rome in 2014 and in Florence he will take on local favourite Gianmarco Tamberi, who set the Italian record of 2.39m in 2016, as well as European indoor champion Maksim Nedasekau and world bronze medallist Ilya Ivanyuk, who have both set PBs of 2.37m this year.
The women&rsquo;s pole vault will see Stefanidi, who cleared 4.80m to win at the USATF Golden Games earlier this month, go up against world champion Anzhelika Sidorova, European indoor champion Angelica Moser and Italian record-holder Roberta Bruni.
Athletes previously announced for the meeting include&nbsp;Malaika Mihambo,&nbsp;Ivana Spanovic, Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, Caterine Ibarguen,&nbsp;Khaddi Sagnia and Larissa Iapichino in the women's long jump.&nbsp;The men&rsquo;s shot put includes Tom Walsh, Tomas Stanek, Leonardo Fabbri, Michal Haratyk and Konrad Bukowiecki.
A total of 1000 spectators will be able to attend the event.
Organisers for World Athletics

Double world champion Sifan Hassan and Olympic gold medallist Faith Kipyegon will go head-to-head over 1500m at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, a Wanda Diamond League meeting, on 10 June.

Hassan and Kipyegon in Florence 1500m, Barshim and Stefanidi ready to soar

Competing in the stadium which will host Olympic athletics action this summer, Kazuki Kurokawa and Ryuji Miura were among the athletes to rise to the occasion at the Ready Steady Tokyo meeting, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, on Sunday (9).
The event welcomed some international names as well as many Japanese stars for the official Olympic Games test event at Tokyo&rsquo;s National Stadium, with Qatar&rsquo;s world champion Mutaz Barshim tying Japan&rsquo;s Naoto Tobe for high jump victory.
But on the track, it was Kurokawa and Miura who had the races of their lives in the 400m hurdles and 3000m steeplechase respectively.
For Kurokawa, that resulted in a PB of 48.68 to lead the top three all under the Olympic qualifying mark of 48.90. The 19-year-old, who is coached by 1997 world indoor 400m bronze medallist Shunji Karube, led from start to finish and although tiring in the closing stages he held on to improve on his previous best of 49.19 set last year.
Behind him, Hiromu Yamauchi improved his PB by more than a second to finish as runner-up in 48.84, while 2015 world U18 bronze medallist Masaki Toyoda also dipped under 49 seconds for the first time with 48.87 in third.
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For Miura, there was a national record-breaking performance. Running 8:17.46, he took more than a second off the Japanese 3000m steeplechase record of 8:18.93 which had been set by Yoshitaka Iwamizu at the 2003 World Championships in Paris for a dominant win ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Philemon Kiplagat Ruto (8:21.10).
That time is an Olympic qualifying mark for the 19-year-old Miura, who ran 1:01:41 for the half marathon in October, and it improves on his previous best of 8:19.37 achieved last year.
<h3>Sprint hurdles success for&nbsp;Terada and&nbsp;Kanai</h3>
Fresh from his Japanese 110m hurdles record of 13.16 set at the end of April, a time which moved him to second on the Asian all-time list, Taio Kanai claimed another win but was pushed all the way.
Dipping for the line, this time he clocked 13.38 (-0.8m/s) to hold off national indoor record-holder Shunsuke Izumiya (13.43) and former national record-holder Shunya Takayama (13.45).
There was another sub-13-second performance for Asuka Terada in the 100m hurdles as she followed her 12.96 Japanese record set last month in Hiroshima with a time of 12.99 (-0.8m/s) to win ahead of her compatriot Masumi Aoki with 13.06.
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Back in the stadium where she set her Japanese 1500m record of 4:05.27 last year, world U20 3000m champion Nozomi Tanaka clocked 4:09.10 for a clear victory, picking up the pace in the second half of the race and running a 63.84 last lap. Ran Urabe came through for second in 4:12.38.
There was also a fast finish in the women&rsquo;s 5000m as teenager Teresia Muthoni Gateri followed up her PB of 15:06.76 set in Hiroshima last month with 15:10.91 to win ahead of her fellow Kenyan teenager Judy Jepngetich with 15:11.52. Japanese 10,000m and half marathon record-holder Hitomi Niiya finshed fifth in 15:18.21.
Returning to steeplechase action for the first time in almost three years, Kenya&rsquo;s 2014 Commonwealth bronze medallist Joan Chepkemoi claimed women's 3000m steeplechase victory in 9:39.29 ahead of&nbsp;Yuno Yamanaka with a&nbsp;9:46.72 PB.
No-one could respond to Takashi Ichida&rsquo;s last lap burst in the men&rsquo;s 5000m as he moved to the front with 300m remaining and couldn&rsquo;t be caught, crossing the finish line in a PB of 13:27.73 for a clear win.
Just six days after his fourth-place finish in the Japanese 10,000m Championships in Shizuoka, where he went close to his PB with 27:54.45,&nbsp;Ichida improved on his previous 5000m best of 13:33.99 to beat Kenya&rsquo;s 2017 world U18 steeplechase silver medallist Cleophas Kandie Meyan (13:29.33), who also ran the 10,000m in Shizuoka and clocked 27:43.07 there.
Akira Aizawa, who won the national 10,000m event in December in 27:18.75, finished third in a PB of 13:29.47.
The men&rsquo;s 200m saw Olympic 4x100m silver medallist Shota Iizuka continue his unbeaten season so far, winning his 14th race (including heats) in a season&rsquo;s best of 20.48 (1.4m/s). Akira Matsumoto was second in a PB of 20.57.
A week after helping Japan to second in the 4x400m at the World Athletics Relays in Silesia, Kentaro Sato ran a well-judged race to win the 400m in 45.61, just 0.03 off his 2015 PB. After a strong start, Sato eased back but found another gear to power down the home straight ahead of his World Relays teammate Rikuya Ito (46.15).
There was a strong start by Japan&rsquo;s two-time world 4x100m bronze medallist Shuhei Tada in the 100m final but he glanced to the side in the closing stages to see the USA&rsquo;s 2017 world champion Justin Gatlin move past him and win in 10.24 (0.0m/s) to Tada&rsquo;s 10.26. Japan's Olympic and world 4x100m medallist&nbsp;Yoshihide Kiryu had been unable to challenge them after a false start in the heats led to disqualification.
<h3>Barshim and&nbsp;Tobe in high jump head-to-head</h3>
A battle between Barshim and Japan&rsquo;s top three athletes had been expected in the men&rsquo;s high jump, but a jump off between Qatar&rsquo;s two-time Olympic medallist and the Japanese indoor record-holder Tobe took things up another notch.
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With both athletes clearing heights from 2.15m to 2.30m on their first attempts and then failing their three goes at 2.33m, they then took it in turns to attempt 2.33m, 2.31m and 2.29m to decide the winner.
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. In Tokyo both athletes were clearly feeling the strain after a long competition and therefore decided to share victory ahead of Takashi Eto, who also cleared 2.30m but had required two attempts at that height as well as three at 2.27m.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
8.07m in his very first attempt secures Yuki Hashioka (<a href="https://twitter.com/th2318?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@th2318</a>) the win at Ready Steady Tokyo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ContinentalTourGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ContinentalTourGold</a> Don't miss any of the action: <a href="https://t.co/3MAMsRnYBS">https://t.co/3MAMsRnYBS</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZaFbcC77Cj">pic.twitter.com/ZaFbcC77Cj</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1391345190523318274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The men&rsquo;s long jump saw Japan&rsquo;s world U20 champion Yuki Hashioka open with 8.07m (1.8m/s) and while he was unable to emulate that in the following rounds, with a series of four fouls and then 7.98m on his last attempt, it was more than enough for him to win the competition. Tenju Togawa was second with a leap of 7.82m (1.4m/s), while the women&rsquo;s event was won by Sumire Hata with a 6.48m (0.6m/s) jump.
Japan&rsquo;s Takuto Kominami followed his recent PB of 82.52m in Hiroshima with a best throw of 80.98m to win the men&rsquo;s javelin, while the women&rsquo;s contest saw his compatriot Momone Ueda throw 58.93m.
Japan&rsquo;s Asian Games winner Seito Yamamoto won the men's pole vault with a clearance of 5.55m.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Competing in the stadium which will host Olympic athletics action this summer, Kazuki Kurokawa and Ryuji Miura were among the athletes to rise to the occasion at the Ready Steady Tokyo meeting, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, on Sunday (9).

Inspired performances by Kurokawa and Miura in Tokyo

World high jump champion Mutaz Barshim will make his first appearance outside of his home country for two years at the Ready Steady Tokyo meeting, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, in the Japanese capital on Sunday (9).
And what better way for the Qatari high jumper to assess his form ahead of the Tokyo Olympics than by competing at the official test event for the Games. And the presence of Japan&rsquo;s top three high jumpers will ensure the competition is a genuine test for Barshim.
Since retaining his world title in sensational style in Doha at the end of 2019, Barshim has competed just once, leaping 2.25m in Doha in March this year. This weekend&rsquo;s competition will be his first in Japan for almost a decade; the last time he competed there was at the 2011 Asian Championships in Kobe, which he won with 2.35m.
He may need to jump somewhere in that region again on Sunday if he is to win as he&rsquo;ll be up against Japanese indoor record-holder Naoto Tobe, 2020 national champion Tomohiro Shinno who jumped 2.31m last year, and 2015 Asian champion Takashi Eto, who won in Fukuroi earlier this month with 2.30m, beating Tobe and Eto.
It&rsquo;s not just the high jump that will feature the very best Japanese athletes. Both sprint hurdles races will be high-quality affairs with a high likelihood of records being broken.
Taioh Kanai is fresh from smashing the Japanese 110m hurdles record with 13.16 in Hiroshima at the end of April, moving him to second place on the Asian all-time list. But former national record-holder Shunya Takayama and national indoor record-holder Shunsuke Izumiya are also in the line-up for Sunday, as is Asian Games silver medallist Chen Kuei-Ju of Chinese Taipei. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/d4248ece-cb99-4bb2-b5ad-d1b64708b824.jpg?cachebuster=90d53583-e044-4f46-bd96-b31d2e2e8b9c" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 Asuka Terada, who reduced her national 100m hurdles record to 12.96 in Hiroshima, will also be in action. She&rsquo;ll take on Japanese compatriot Masumi Aoki, who last year ran a marginally wind-aided 12.87, the fastest performance ever achieved by a Japanese woman in any conditions.
When Lalu Muhammad Zohri last raced in Japan, he was rewarded with a 100m national record of 10.03. The world U20 champion from Indonesia has competed sparingly since then, but he hopes to be in contention this weekend when he lines up alongside Japanese sub-10-second sprinters Yuki Koike and Yoshihide Kiryu. Olympic 4x100m silver medallist Aska Cambridge and 2017 world champion Justin Gatlin are also in the field.
Shotaro Shiroyama, who in 2019 set a Japanese long jump record of 8.40m, will take on world U20 champion Yuki Hashioka, Australia&rsquo;s 2012 world indoor silver medallist Henry Frayne, Japanese champion Hibiki Tsuha, Asian Games bronze medallist Sapwaturahman of Indonesia, and Daiki Oda. The latter scored a narrow victory over Hashioka in Hiroshima last month, but Hashioka had a foul that looked to be well beyond eight metres. If he gets his run-up right this weekend, he could improve on his PB of 8.32m.
The men&rsquo;s javelin also has a strong domestic line-up. Takuto Kominami, who recently set a PB of 82.52m to win in Hiroshima, will take on Olympic finalist Ryohei Arai and Genki Dean, who last year got within 23 centimetres of his PB when winning with 84.05m at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in the same Tokyo Olympic Stadium. Chinese Taipei&rsquo;s 2015 Asian champion Huang Shih-Feng, an 86.64m thrower at his best, is also in the field.
Yuka Sato, who threw a season&rsquo;s best of 61.01m last month, is the top athlete entered for the women&rsquo;s javelin.
Hitomi Niiya, who has set Japanese records for 10,000m and the half marathon in recent years, will be stepping down in distance to the 5000m where she&rsquo;ll take on rising star Ririka Hironaka and Kenyan teenager Teresiah Muthoni, who won in Hiroshima last month in a PB of 15:06.76. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/26adf94d-fb3e-4ee2-bc83-c1b75ea9ccee.jpg?cachebuster=8d25df48-e917-40ae-8d93-93a5988cddd8" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 The men&rsquo;s 5000m looks to be similarly competitive. Kenya&rsquo;s Cleophas Kandie, the 2017 world U18 steeplechase silver medallist, will be buoyed by his 27:43.07 run over 10,000m at the start of this week. Kenya's 2016 world half marathon silver medallist Bedan Karoki and 2020 Japanese champion Yuta Bando should also be in the mix, likewise Takashi Ichida, who has set PBs of 27:54.45 for 10,000m and 1:00:19 for the half marathon so far this year. Promising teenagers Yamato Yoshii and Kosuke Ishida will also be looking to produce a fast time.
World U20 3000m champion Nozomi Tanaka returns to the venue where she set a Japanese 1500m record last year. The 21-year-old will once again contest the metric mile where she&rsquo;ll face Kenyan duo Hellen Lobun and Cynthia Mbaire.
Philemon Ruto, who won in Hiroshima last month, leads the men's steeplechase field. Japanese U20 runner Ryuji Miura, who came within half a second of breaking the national senior record last year, will be hopeful of coming away with a PB &ndash; and possibly a national record.
In the women&rsquo;s event, meanwhile, 2014 Commonwealth bronze medallist Joan Chepkemoi will contest her first steeplechase race in almost three years. The Kenyan has a best of 9:20.22, but if she's a bit race-rusty over the barriers, Japan&rsquo;s Reimi Yoshimura could provide a challenge to Chepkemoi.
Three of Japan&rsquo;s 4x400m team members from the recent World Athletics Relays Silesia 21 &ndash; Rikuya Ito, Kaito Kawabata and Kentaro Sato &ndash; will contest the individual 400m here, where they&rsquo;ll face Britain&rsquo;s Rabah Yousif.
And in the 400m hurdles, Asian silver medallist Chen Chieh of Chinese Taipei takes on Japanese champion Takatoshi Abe and Brazil&rsquo;s Mahau Suguimati.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

World high jump champion Mutaz Barshim will make his first appearance outside of his home country for two years at the Ready Steady Tokyo meeting, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, in the Japanese capital on Sunday (9).

Barshim ready for return to international action in Tokyo

World high jump champion Mutaz Barshim will open his season on home soil at the Doha Diamond League on 16-17 April, the first meeting of the 2020 Wanda Diamond League.
For the first time in its 22-year history, the Doha Diamond League meeting will be held over two days across two different venues. The Qatar Sports Club will host the main programme, but the men&rsquo;s high jump &ndash; featuring Barshim &ndash; will take place at the Amphitheatre of the Katara Cultural Village on the evening of 16 April.
&ldquo;After such an amazing experience winning gold at the World Championships in Doha, I&rsquo;m excited that my first competition of the 2020 season will also be in Doha &ndash; especially in the Amphitheatre which will provide a spectacular venue for the high jump competition,&rdquo; said Barshim, who has a best of 2.43m, the second highest jump of all time.
&ldquo;We provided a fantastic show during the World Championships and I want to encourage those supporters to come back out on April 16 and 17 so they can once again witness world-class athletics in this city.&rdquo;
The 28-year-old, who won the world title in front of a home crowd at the Khalifa International Stadium last October, is joined on an impressive start list by fellow world champions Hellen Obiri, Anderson Peters and Beatrice Chepkoech.
Obiri, the world cross-country and 5000m champion, is an experienced Diamond League competitor who ran 8:25.60 to win the 3000m at last year&rsquo;s Doha Diamond League, while Peters &ndash; who won javelin gold at the 2019 World Athletics Championships &ndash; will make his Diamond League debut.
Chepkoech, the world 3000m steeplechase champion, is the current world record-holder with a best of 8:44.32.
In addition to the confirmed global champions, world bronze medallists and Asian Games champions Abderrahman Samba (400m hurdles) and Abdalelah Haroun (400m) will also compete in Doha.
&ldquo;We are excited with the line-up of stars for the 22nd edition of the Doha Diamond League,&rdquo; said Qatar Athletics Federation president Thani Alkuwari. &ldquo;The large number of world and Olympic medallists confirmed for the event is an indication of the importance of the Doha meet and we look forward to a highly successful competition.&rdquo;
The 2020 Wanda Diamond League comprises 14 meetings &ndash; commencing with Doha &ndash; leading to a single final at the end of the season. Each meeting will be broadcast globally in a fast-paced 90-minute programme.
Organisers for World Athletics

World high jump champion Mutaz Barshim will open his season on home soil at the Doha Diamond League on 16-17 April, the first meeting of the 2020 Wanda Diamond League.

Barshim headlines as four world champions are confirmed for Wanda Diamond League opener in Doha

One characteristic of champions is that they often find a way to win, even when they shouldn&rsquo;t. Goals against the run of play, the passing shot at full stretch on match point, willing oneself across the line or over the bar.
Conselsus Kipruto and Mutaz Essa Barshim provided wonderful examples one after the other on day eight of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019. Each of these champions came to Doha facing uphill battles to retain their titles. Injury had laid both low in recent times. Both faced stern competition from worthy opponents. Yet both won.
Kipruto, at least, is making a habit of this. Last year he won the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich, again snatching victory from what seemed inevitable defeat.
That night Kipruto beat Soufiane El Bakkali despite losing a shoe on the first lap, twice conceding a break to his opponent, losing ground at the final water-jump and trailing off the final hurdle.
Despite all that &ndash; or, perversely, could it be because of all that &ndash; Kipruto somehow got himself to the line centimetres ahead of a despairing El Bakkali. Nobody saw that coming, least of all El Bakkali, whose arms were spread acclaiming a victory which had just evaporated before his own eyes. 
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<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/e97876fd-7385-4706-a7cb-a3c68d9385ba.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Conseslus Kipruto wins the steeplechase at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019</div>
&nbsp;
At the Khalifa International Stadium, El Bakkali was once again one of Kipruto&rsquo;s &lsquo;victims&rsquo;, but it was Lemecha Girma who took the biggest hit. He had gained the upper hand once he and Kipruto got past the Moroccan athlete down the back-straight. He led at the water-jump, led at the final hurdle. Then Kipruto really got to work, grinding down his opponent stride by stride and diving desperately to get to the line a hundredth of a second to the good.
This all came after an injury-blighted build-up which restricted Kipruto to just four races this year: two DNFs, a fifth and a seventh.
Barshim&rsquo;s problem was the serious ankle injury he suffered mid-2018 which required surgery and lengthy rehabilitation. He was competing on home soil in Doha, but came into the competition with a season&rsquo;s best of 2.27m.
Barshim faced strong opponents, men not inclined to concede him either victory or even misplaced sympathy. He was here to be beaten and it seemed any number might do it.
Qualifying brought a season&rsquo;s best of 2.29m, a mark that was improved to 2.30m in the final after first-time clearances at 2.19m, 2.24m, 2.27m and 2.30m.
Things then started to unravel, or at least show signs they might. Barshim needed all three tries to get over 2.33m, a height Mikhail Akimenko and Maksim Nedasekau cleared first-up. Barshim now trailed and had to once again go higher than he had all season if he wanted to win.
To the delight of a packed stadium, Barshim boomed over 2.33m on the final attempt, then got 2.35m at the first. He had the lead, but lost it again as Akimenko retained his perfect record with a first-time clearance.
Barshim had to do it all over again at 2.37m. He did, again soaring clear with room to spare. When Akimenko could not match him, Barshim had secured a victory which, even a few days ago, looked out of his reach.
There have been other examples here. Kelsey-Lee Barber had endured a mediocre qualifying competition and five mediocre throws in the final before she produced a gold medal throw on the final attempt. Coach and husband Michael Barber had suggested she lengthen her run-up for the final throw and not over-reach.
&ldquo;Trust the feel. Trust the rhythm,&rdquo; was the mantra. Barber did and leapt from fifth to first and a gold medal.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won her fourth world 100m title here. The Jamaican star wasn&rsquo;t returning from injury but from childbirth. She met strong opponents, took their best, and came out on top with a world-leading 10.71.
Finding a way, finding a way.
Christian Taylor also won a fourth world title in the triple jump. He fouled his first two jumps and even with his third got not much closer to the take-off board than being in the same stadium. His next effort was a 17.86m which put him into the lead and he improved to 17.92m to take out the win.
When things were going wrong, when teammate and perennial rival Will Claye was way out in front, Taylor still found a way to win. 
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Muktar Edris wins the 5000m at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019</div>
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So, too, did Muktar Edris in the 5000m. The man who closed the Mo Farah era by defeating the great Briton in the 5000m in London two years ago had done precious little this year. He faced opposition from younger teammates Selemon Barega and Telahun Bekele, as well as Norway&rsquo;s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Canada&rsquo;s Mo Ahmed.
A little more than three seconds covered the first six in a blanket finish. Yet it was again Edris who prevailed. He found a way to get to the line first, when form and logic said he shouldn&rsquo;t have.
Again, give the last word to Conselsus Kipruto.
&ldquo;At championships, I always believe that experience counts for a lot,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not about shape. I set my mind and my heart very well. When I got to the start line, I told myself, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m going to do it&rsquo;. This strong mentality helped me with the race.&rdquo;
Len Johnson for the IAAF

One characteristic of champions is that they often find a way to win, even when they shouldn’t. Goals against the run of play, the passing shot at full stretch on match point, willing oneself across the line or over the bar.

Barshim, Kipruto and Edris – champions who find a way to win

Not too many people get the chance to be crowned a world champion in front of their friends and family in their home city, and even fewer deliver; but Mutaz Barshim &ndash; Doha born and bred &ndash; added his name to that small list when he flew over 2.37m to take the high jump gold.
You did not need a decibel counter to realise that the local hero got the noisiest reception of the championships, making the cheers that greeted Dalilah Muhammad&rsquo;s 400m hurdles world record about 30 minutes earlier on Friday night seem like a murmur.
His popularity is such that he managed to fill the Khalifa International Stadium to the rafters, with poster and placard-waving Qatari fans willing him over the heights.
&ldquo;I am jumping, and they (the crowds) just showed up, the stadium was full,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They believed in me, they supported me, and I believe this will spark something, for the nation itself, for the upcoming events.
&ldquo;Today I saw the joy in people&rsquo;s eyes. They didn&rsquo;t believe it, now they do, and I think they will come back,&rdquo; added Barshim, about two hours after his win and with the stadium finally empty, as he reflected on his status as possibly Qatar&rsquo;s greatest sporting hero.
<h3> Champion crowd</h3>
In spite of the euphoria, Barshim was also careful not to get too carried away and indulge in too much hubris in the wake of his triumph.
&ldquo;I am not a legend,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Sometimes legends are not true.
&ldquo;But I am really happy. It feels amazing, it feels great. I have won a lot of medals but this one was at home, so it feels different.
&ldquo;Everybody came here and supported me a lot; I just wanted to do it for them. They are the champions tonight, not me,&rdquo; added Barshim, acknowledging the crowd&rsquo;s role in helping make him the first man to win back-to-back world high jump titles. 
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Mutaz Barshim charging up the crowd at the IAAF World Championships Doha 2019</div>
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It was far from a foregone conclusion that the 28-year-old Barshim would retain his title from London two years ago, or even get among the medals, despite his competitive credentials in past big competitions.
No one had dominated this discipline in 2019, unlike Barshim in several previous years since he first came to global attention as a teenager in 2010 when winning his first Asian Games title and the world U20 gold medal that year.
Barshim had jumped no higher than a modest 2.27m this year for equal 31st on the 2019 world list ahead of the IAAF World Athletics Championships, and injury concerns had restricted him to just three meetings prior to Doha, including a 10th place in the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich at the end of August.
<h3> Forgetting the past</h3>
All the aches and pains of the past year or so seemed to disappear once the competition started in Doha.
Apart from making hard work of getting over 2.33m when he needed all three of his attempts, with his first-time clearances at 2.35m and his winning height of 2.37m he seemed not too removed from the Barshim of 2013 and 2014 vintage when Javier Sotomayor&rsquo;s long-standing world record of 2.45m seemed within his grasp.
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t 100 per cent ready, but with all these people cheering for me like this I just forgot everything. I felt like, &lsquo;OK it doesn&rsquo;t matter what happens tonight, if I injure myself, it&rsquo;s my last competition. I am gonna push everything out&rsquo;. 
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 &ldquo;One year ago, I got off the crutches (following ankle surgery), I took my first step. My injury was very serious, it could have been career-ending; and then you start questioning yourself. It&rsquo;s normal when you are facing a difficult situation.
&ldquo;Of course, there was pressure (at these championships), there is always pressure, but I need that pressure to jump. I love to perform in a field where everybody is strong and in front of a big crowd. I think this is an extra push. Pressure in sports can be positive and can actually help you. I needed that.&rdquo;
After being the only man to clear 2.37m, the first man he wanted to share his delight with was his long-standing coach Stanisław Szczyrba. Barshim divided into the crowd and clambered over several rows of seats to salute the 73-year-old Pole who has been his mentor for more than a decade, having become first guided by him in September 2009.
<h3> Big love for Barshim</h3>
Of course, after that embrace there was also a long line of local dignitaries to meet and greet, including the Emir of Qatar.
&ldquo;He (the Emir) was very excited, very happy. I went to see him after the end of the competition, and he said &lsquo;Well done. I have no words to say. You did everything, more than I expected&rsquo;. He&rsquo;s really happy, he&rsquo;s proud and I am proud too.&rdquo;
In such circumstances, winning in front of your home crowd might entail being rewarded with some extra bonuses from the government but for the moment it looks like Barshim will have to be content with the US$60,000 first prize awarded by the IAAF. 
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Mutaz Barshim is on fire in Doha! IAAF World Championships Doha 2019</div>
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&ldquo;Nobody has promised me anything. I am not doing high jump for gifts. If I was, I would have stopped a long time ago.
&ldquo;This is something that I love; I started this when I was young,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;When I am happy, I do high jump. When I am sad, I do high jump. When I am angry, I do high jump. It&rsquo;s just a way to express myself.&rdquo;
What he does have in the wake of his Doha triumph, though, is the restoration of his credibility as a world-class and feared high jumper ahead of next summer in Tokyo when he will aim to become Qatar&rsquo;s first ever Olympic gold medallist, which would also complete his collection after bronze in London and then silver in Rio.
If Barshim can win a world title off the back of less-than-ideal preparation, imagine what he&rsquo;s capable of doing now he can start his 2020 preparations at full fitness.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF

Not too many people get the chance to be crowned a world champion in front of their friends and family in their home city, and even fewer deliver; but Mutaz Barshim – Doha born and bred – added his name to that small list when he flew over 2.37m to take the high jump gold.