The accolades just keep pouring in for Mutaz Barshim.
Barely a month after being nominated for the IAAF’s Athlete of the Year Award, the Qatar high jumper, who swept aside all competition this past season, was declared the Best Male Athlete from Asia at the annual ANOC (Association of National Olympic Committees) gala annual awards in Prague yesterday.
The two-time Olympic medallist and 2017 IAAF world champion accepted the award from pole vault legend Sergey Bubka on the opening day of the ANOC general assembly, the largest meeting of the Olympic movement outside the Olympic Games.
“First of all I am very happy to be here and to win this award,” said Barshim. “I thank my family, especially my mother, and my team for keeping me going,” he added. Barshim also singled out his coach Stanislaw Szczyrba, crediting him for his success as an athlete.
Qatar Olympic Committee President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar’s ambassador to Germany and former QOC Secretary-General Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were present on the occasion.
The ANOC Awards were established by ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah and held for the first time in Bangkok in 2014.
The winners of each award were selected by the ANOC Jury from a shortlist provided by each of the continental associations. Continental associations were asked to monitor athletes’ performances across the international federations’ World Championships, World Cups and Grand Prix events which took place this year, and submit a shortlist to the jury.
The ANOC Jury comprised of representatives from each of the Continental Associations, the ANOC Athletes’ Commission Chair, ASOIF President, AIOWF President and ANOC Secretary-General.
Barshim was unbeaten last season, sweeping all Diamond League competitions before being crowned world champion in London where he won the the global high jump title with a leap of 2.35 metres.
The 26-year-old, whose 2.43m best is the second-highest in history after Cuban Javier Sotomayor’s 2.45 set almost a quarter of a century ago, has won silver and bronze at the last two Olympics and silver in the 2013 World Championships.
At the London World Championships, he blew away the opposition. He qualified without a single failed jump and rarely looked like dislodging the bar with his elegant run-up and leap.
With the gold medal duly secured he went agonisingly close to clearing 2.40 but there was no disappointment and the 26-year-old can target a crack at the world record on home soil when Doha hosts the next World Championships in 2019.
“My first big world championships gold and I was so determined to win it,” Barshim said then. “I was expecting it tonight so I am glad I managed to fulfil my target,” Barshim had said after his London success.
Later, he told Gulf Times, “It was very important (to go past that Sotomayor barrier). It will give me an extra push the next time I line up to write more history. I want my name to be mentioned at the mere mention of high jump. And that will only happen by quality jumps and by breaking records.” His coach Stanislaw Szczyrba is of the opinion that Barshim’s best is yet to come.
“The best age for a high jumper is 28, 29, 30. So he is on his way to the top. He is physically and mentally stronger now,” the coach had said last month.
ANOC Awards list:
Asia
Best Female Athlete: Song Yu, China (Judo)
Best Male Athlete: Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatar (High Jump)
Africa
Best Female Athlete: Farida Osman, Egypt (Swimming)
Best Male Athlete: Chad Le Clos, South Africa (Swimming)
America
Best Female Athlete: Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela (Triple Jump)
Best Male Athlete: Trinidad and Tobago 4x400m relay team
Europe
Best Female Athlete: Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (Swimming)
Best Male Athlete: Marcel Hirscher, Austria (Alpine Skiing)
