World champion Mutaz Essa Barshim expressed hopes of surpassing Cuban high jump legend Javier Sotomayor's world record this year.
Sotomayor cleared 2.45m (8 ft 1u8260?2 in) in Salamanca, Spain on July 27, 1993. Only Barshim has come closest to the benchmark.
At a press conference on the eve of the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, the fifth leg of the IAAF Diamond League, the Qatari superstar said,"I'm working on it (world record). I know I'm at a pretty good place right now. It's very easy for me to put the bar at 2.46 and run. But that's not my goal. When I do it, I want that it is cleared or I'm very close to it.
"I'm on the right approach and I feel this will hopefully go this year," the current world leader said.
The Qatari began the season with a world leading 2.40m win at the home leg, the Diamond League opener on May 4. He then won at Eugene, beating world indoor champion Danil Lysenko with a clearance of 2.36m. Both of them are competing in the second successive event, along with 2017 London worlds bronze medallist Majd Eddin Ghazal from Syria and 2007 world champion Donald Thomas.
Barshim has had good memories of the 2017 Oslo meet. He jumped 2.38m to beat Sotomayor's record of 2.37m, set in 1989.
With no major global meet available now, Barshim is focusing on going higher, which means he wants anything beyond his personal best of 2.43m, an Asia record which was achieved in Brussels in September 2014.
"I have great memories of the last year here, breaking the meet record. It was a personal battle between him (Sotomayor) and me. So finally, we settled it here. I'm in good shape and I came here to fight and hopefully, will keep winning.
"Besides the Asian Games, there is no major world championship now. The Diamond League meetings are at a good time.
My goal this year is to beat all sorts of records, whether it is a meet record, world record, area record or personal best.
"I want to go higher at each meet and I'll try to give my best this year," Barshim added.
Qatar's another rising star Abderrahman Samba also aims to go faster in 400m hurdles. Already he has set three world leads in his three successive events, including two in the Diamond League (Doha and Rome).
Up against him is another strong field, headed by world champion and home hero Karsten Warholm. World silver medallist Yasmani Copello of Turkey and Olympic champion Kerron Clement from the US are also in the fray.
Samba, who beat Warholm to win in Rome last week, said he would seek to set another Diamond League or meet record tomorrow."I'll try to run fast and try for another record. I started hurdles last year after doing 200m and 400m flat. I feel my hard training, belief in myself and good plan have helped me succeed.
"In two Diamond League races so far, I really surprised myself with the pace before I surprised people. That is good for me and the sport," he added.
Warholm said of Samba,"We now have a guy who runs a lot faster than me. I've to see the ways to improve myself. He is the best right now and I'll try to chase him and see what happens."
