Doha: The President of the Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF), Mohammed Issa Al Fadala, lavished praise on Mutaz Barshim, who secured a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, solidifying his status as the greatest Olympic high jumper in history.
The 33-year-old Barshim finished third in the final, trailing gold medalist Hamish Kerr of New Zealand and America's McEwen Shelby. This victory marked Barshim's fourth Olympic medal, adding to his gold from the Tokyo Olympics and silver medals from the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games.
This achievement also made Barshim the most decorated high jumper in Olympic history, complementing his unprecedented three consecutive World Athletics Championships titles.
"Becoming an Olympic champion is a remarkable feat, but becoming Barshim is something extraordinary," said QAF President Al Fadala. "His bronze medal tastes like gold. Barshim is a legacy for future generations and a great inspiration for the entire Qatari athletics community to strive for excellence." He also expressed gratitude to Qatar Olympic Committee President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani for his unwavering support of the athletes.
Although Barshim will not compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Games, he confirmed his commitment to continue representing Qatar in major championships in the near future.
Barshim’s bronze in his Olympic farewell was the sole medal for Team Qatar, which fielded 14 athletes at the Paris Games, concluding yesterday.
There were disappointments for Qatar’s other medal hopefuls. Weightlifter Fares Ibrahim, the reigning Olympic champion, was unable to defend his title in the 102kg category due to an elbow injury. Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan also fell short in their bid to retain their Olympic bronze in men’s beach volleyball, losing the third-place playoff to Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum.
Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba, hampered by injuries during his Olympic preparation, managed to reach the men’s 400m hurdles final, where he finished sixth.
However, there were promising performances from young talents like Bassem Hemeida, who set personal bests in the men’s 400m hurdles, and sprinter Ammar Ismail, who achieved his personal best in the men’s 400m event.