Diamond League: Barshim, Al Mannai Lead Qatar's Medal Hopes

Doha, May 05 (QNA) - National record holder Mutaz Essa Barshim and 2010 Continental Cup title winner Rashid Ahmed Al Mannai lead Qatar's medal hopes in the high jump event at the IAAF Diamond League starting Friday at the Qatar Sports Club.
Barshim, 19, came to prominence last year winning all the available continental or global junior titles in high jump. The Aspire Academy product won the Arab Junior Championships in Cairo last year and then on July 3 the Asian Junior Championships with a clearance of 2.31, the current national record of Qatar. Later he went on to bag the World Junior Championships title in Canada with an effort of 2.30m.
Al Mannai became the first Asian to win the men's high jump at the World/Continental Cup with a personal best clearance of 2.28m in Split, ahead of more decorated men like Bahamas 2007 World Champion Donald Thomas.
Before his breakthrough at the Croatian city located on the Adriatic Sea, the young Qatari had enjoyed regional success, including his first international victory at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games in Macau and a bronze medal at the 2008 Asian Indoor Championships at home.
Last winter, Al Mannai experienced his best indoor season so far with three wins in five competitions in Poland, including his best mark under closed roof (2.20) in Bydgoszcz.
The Qatari duo could face a stiff challenge from the Bahamas' Donald Thomas who bagged a clutch of medals including his personal best of 2.35m in Salamanca, Spain, in 2007 his best year and Britain's Thomas Parsons who best is 2.30m.
Other competitors in the field include 27-year-old Russian Aleksey Dmitrik who would look to reproduce his form of 2001 which had won him the gold medal at the World Youtth Championships. Since that high his form dipped, but he came back strongly to win the silver medal at the European Indoor Championships in 2009.
Another challenger, American Jesse Williams whose jumps average the 2.28m mark and has a personal best of 2.36m could just use the Doha setting to get on to the medal's podium.
The first World Championships medallist from Cyprus, who averages around 2.28m, and American Manson Andra both would be hoping to surpass their personal best marks of 2.35m. Also in the fray is Italian Talotti Alessandro whose best is 2.32m. (QNA)