Athletics
Beyond Gold: Mutaz Barshim’s endless quest for high jump perfection
Mutaz Barshim is one of the world’s greatest high jumpers. How does the 'Arabian Falcon' stay hungry for more?
Here is an athlete who has leapt higher than any in history, bar Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor, whose 1993 outdoor record of 2.45m has held until this day. However, Mutaz Barshim’s personal best of 2.43m remains tantalisingly close. Add to that a hat-trick of world championship gold medals to go alongside his title in Tokyo – not to mention, most recently, a bronze medal won at the Paris Games – and few competitors in any discipline have collected medals so prolifically.
It’s a haul that provides an understandable sense of pride for the 32-year-old Qatari, nicknamed the ‘Arabian Falcon’, but also brings a problem unique to precious few sportspeople. Namely, how do the best keep getting better? And, just as importantly, how can the hunger be maintained to keep achieving those incremental gains to stay at the top?
How do the best get better?
© Akl Yazbeck / Red Bull Content Pool
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“I don’t start training until I’ve found that target”
“Each year is new – you have different targets, difficult targets, especially in my case, as I’m at that point in my career when I’ve done everything,” he says. “I’m always trying to see what’s next. What’s that one thing that’s going to keep that hunger? To keep me striving for extra? I don’t start training until I’ve found that target. I’ve got it for this year, so I’m on it again.”
Barshim’s life today is far removed from those early years in Doha following his father to the track. He first tried his hand at running and the long jump – “I was nothing special,” he says – before settling on the high jump. “The high jumpers had the fun training,” he says. “Jumping on the trampolines, I wanted to try that.”
"You must never forget how it all started"
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The better you are, the more difficult everything gets
Then in 2009, a recreational basketball dunk by a 17-year-old Barshim caught the eye of coach Stanisław Szczyrba. “In 40 years, I’ve never seen such a leap,” remarked Szczyrba, who convinced Barshim he had world-champion potential. A month later, Barshim held the national record. Within two years, he was world junior champion.
“The better you are, the more difficult everything gets,” says Barshim. “I used to just train, then do a workout session or see my family. Now, I have commitments, social responsibilities. Everything is a distraction. Athletes at the top get comfortable, they have money, fame, they’re in the media. For me, it’s about still wanting to get up, put in the hard work and stay focused.
More from Mutaz Barshim
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The addiction that keeps Barshim going
“You need the mentality to stay relevant. You must never forget how it all started.” The feeling of nailing the perfect jump is also one that stays with you, says Barshim. It’s an addiction to excellence that no amount of silverware will erode.
"I don’t start training until I’ve found that target"
© Akl Yazbeck / Red Bull Content Pool
Athletes at the top get comfortable, they have money, fame, they’re in the media
“Eighty-five percent of the time, I know if I’m going to clear the jump before I even take off,” he says. “You have the tunnel vision, hit every spot right, every movement feels right. High jump is an art, it’s like playing the piano or strings. I can literally close my eyes and feel it. “What’s the closest feeling to it? It’s like flying. You’re not competing against other athletes – you’re competing against the bar.”