Mutaz Essa Barshim in the high jump at the IAAF World Championships, Moscow 2013 (© Getty Images)
The top four jumpers on this year’s world list will clash in Marrakech, and the talent-stacked event will be one of the highlights of the IAAF Continental Cup.
World indoor champion Mutaz Essa Barshim and world champion Bogdan Bondarenko are set for another big battle. Barshim recently set an Asian record of 2.43m to win the IAAF Diamond League final in Brussels, making him the second-best high jumper in history.
The Qatari is level with European champion Bondarenko in their 2014 head-to-head record with three wins each, but the Ukrainian has more outdoor 2.40m jumps to his credit this season.
Russia’s Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov and Canada’s Commonwealth champion Derek Drouin both boast 2.40m clearances this season. Although the expected world record hasn’t yet happened this season, the warm conditions in Marrakech could provide one good final opportunity for 2.45m to be surpassed.
Natalia Maryanchik for the IAAF
