By Mitch Phillips
EUGENE, Ore. (Reuters) – Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim won a third successive world high jump gold in style on Monday as he cleared a world-leading 2.37 metres with ease as all his rivals struggled to get close
Barshim, who famously shared Olympic gold with Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi last year, jumped beautifully all night to go well beyond his own season’s best of 2.30.
The title was just about secure after he had cleared 2.35 but he then eased over 2.37 looking almost in slow motion.
With the gold medal then in the bag he had one attempt at a championship record 2.42 but failed.
World indoor champion Woo Sang-hyeok of South Korea needed three attempts to get over 2.33 but then also cleared 2.35 at the second attempt to take silver. Ukraine’s Andriy Protsenko collected bronze on the back of his 2.33 clearance
Tamberi had a nervous path into the final, twice failing at 2.25 and then twice again at 2.28 in Friday’s heats. In the final he failed twice at 2.30 but then clearing 2.33 at the second attempt before bowing out at 2.35 to finish fourth.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Peter Rutherford)
