Mutaz breaks Javier Sotomayor’s 28-year-old high jump meeting record in Oslo

Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim broke a high jump record that was set even before he was born and announced that he was onto greater things this year.

The 25-year-old Qatari jumper, who cleared 2.38M to win the fifth meet of the IAAF Diamond League at the Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway, broke Cuban Javier Sotomayor’s 28-year-old record at the meet.

The Cuban had set the earlier record of 2.37M way back in 1989, reported The Peninsula.

Mutaz tweeted a video of the jump on his Twitter feed.

الحمد ، المركز الاول في ملتقى أوسلو بإرتفاع ٢.٣٨م ، ورقم جديد للبطولة بعد ٢٨ سنة ، الرقم السابق ٢.٣٧ باسم سوتومايور صاحب رقم العالم pic.twitter.com/Yo8pXjJOdx

— معتز برشم ♕Barshim (@mutazbarshim) June 15, 2017

And soon after, Qatar Olympic Committee president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani tweeted out his congratulations to the champion.

WellDone champ

— جوعان بن حمد (@JoaanBinHamad) June 16, 2017

Qatar’s baby-faced assassin did the deed, having teetered on the brink of an earlier-than-hoped for exit with two failures at 2.35M before clearing at the last before setting the new meeting record on his second attempt.

“That was the target,” Barshim said after the event.

“We came for 2.38. So mission completed. At the beginning I was feeling a little bit sleepy, but after 2.33 I woke up and came into the right rhythm.

“My coach, as well as I, am happy because I took this record off Sotomayor after 28 years. Our plan works, we go step by step. I’m blessed for every opportunity I get,” Qatar Tribune quoted him as saying.

The IAAF tweeted its delight at the record finally having fallen.

WL and 2.38m meeting record for Mutaz Barshim in the#OsloDL high jump, finally eclipsing Javier Sotomayor's meet standard set in 1989 (!). pic.twitter.com/NDciAhcvPt

— IAAF (@iaaforg) June 15, 2017

Barshim’s mark is also the best recorded so far this year, and a clear marker of the former world indoor champion’s intention of earning a first outdoor global championship at this summer’s World Championships London.