Qatar’s Barshim sails into final, eyes third World title

Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim in action during the high jump qualification at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene. (Reuters)

• Italy’s joint Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi avoids a shock early exit

Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barshim was on course to defend his world title after the Qatari high jumper made it to the final of the 2022 World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, US, yesterday. The 31-year-old is attempting to win third consecutive world title. Yesterday, Barshim cleared 2.28m to make it to the final with 12 others. The final will be held on Monday. “I’m counting on all my experience,” said Barshim, who has competed very little this season. Italian Gianmarco Tamberi, who memorably shared the gold medal with Barshim at the Tokyo Olympics last year, avoided a shock early exit by scraping into the final. Tamberi made hard work of qualifying in the searing sun at Hayward Field in the first day of action of the championships which run until July 24. The Italian needed three attempts at both 2.25 and 2.28m, each time dramatically slumping to the mat in sheer relief after finally clearing the bar.   World indoor champion Woo Sang-hyeok of Korea underlined his status as a strong medal hope as he also sailed through without any fails. Thirteen men will compete in the final. There was no such drama on the track as American veteran Allyson Felix’s hopes of a medalling swansong were kept alive as the US team went through to the final of the 4x400m mixed relay. Felix, 36, didn’t race the morning round. Instead a quartet made up of Elija Godwin, Kennedy Simon, Vernon Norwood and Wadeline Jonathas clocked a word lead of 3min 11.75sec to advance to the final where one of the women will cede their place to Felix. Also qualifying for the final are the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, Poland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica and Nigeria, but all eyes will be on whether 11-time Olympic medallist Felix can sign off her career with a 19th world medal.Polish hammer rivals Fajdek, Nowicki advance Poland’s Pawel Fajdek began his bid for a fifth straight world title in the men’s hammer throw with a 80.09-metre effort in qualification. The meet got rolling under the beating sun as a smattering of fans trickled into Hayward Field, making for a subdued start to the first world championships held on US soil. There were no surprises in the event, as Fajdek’s compatriot and chief rival Wojciech Nowicki rolled through to Saturday’s final with 79.22, nearly a year since he collected Olympic gold in Tokyo. Fajdek, who settled for bronze at the 2020 Games, produced the day’s furthest throw on his second attempt. World bronze medallist Bence Halasz of Hungary moved on with 79.13, as did Norwegian Olympic silver medallist Eivind Henriksen (78.12) and France’s Quentin Bigot (77.95), who took silver three years ago. Athletics leaders are banking on the 18th edition of the championships drumming up interest in the sport in the US, where the men’s big four professional leagues - NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA - have a stranglehold on fans’ attention and spending dollars. While morning events are typically lightly attended, the rows and rows of empty seats seen at the venue yesterday was not what the organisers had hoped for.

Pawel Fajdek of Poland competes in the hammer throw qualification. (AFP)