Welklasse ZH Memories: In praise of Mutaz Essa Barshim

Mutaz Essa Barshim has had an amazing season. He will end with all wins this season as he has had superb clearances at gutty times in the competition. For years, many saw Mutaz Barshim as this high jumper who almost had it all, wins, titles and performances. Now, after Eberstadt on August 27, Mutaz Barshim has 11 clearances of 2.40 meters.

What does 2.40 meters mean?

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How do I equate 2.40 meters in the high jump. Okay, 9.75 in the 100 meters, 43.40 in the 400 meters, a 3:46 mile, or a 10,000 meters in 26:45.

Why do I do that? Because as good as Mutaz Barshim is, we do not see the work that goes into his rarefied movements. The high jump is a complex series of movements that few do well. When a jumper succeeds, there is this combination of elegance, power and speed that is required to jump high.

Mutaz Essa Barshim, photo by PhotoRun.net

Watching Mutaz clear 2.40 meters in the chilliness of Birmingham was one thing, watching him compete and clear 2.36 metrs in Zurich was another, and then, today, Mutaz cleared 2.40 meters for the 11th time in his career.

Mutaz Essa Barshim is world champion, Diamond League champion and finest high jumper of 2017.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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