HANGZHOU, China - Qatari high jumper Mutaz Barshim sailed to his third Asian Games title on Wednesday, adding another medal to an impressive collection for the reigning Olympic champion.
Barshim took the title with a jump of 2.35m, with Woo clearing 2.33m. Japan's Tomohiro Shinno, 27, got the bronze with a season's best leap of 2.29m.Several times other athletes either struggled to clear or just made a height before Barshim sauntered in with his familiar rangy stride and cleared the bar by a big margin, triggering audible gasps from the spectators.Once Shinno failed on his third attempt at 2.31m it was left to Woo and three time world champion Barshim to fight it out.
Barshim then attempted 2.37m which would have beaten his season's best of 2.36m. On his last jump, the bar looked like it might hold for a moment and spectators roared. "I really wanted to be there so bad, because when I was young in 2006, the previous Asian Games before I compete, I was a volunteer and holding the basket for the high jumpers," he said.