p>Barshim, Bondarenko and Ukhov are considered as the three athletes who are able to break the legendary World High Jump record of the Cuban Javier Sotomayor (2.45m).
Barshim who turned 23 recently is a native Qatarian: he was born and he grew up in the oil state at the Gulf of Persia. His father was a race walker who inspired his son to take up the sports of athletics. And successfully because Barshim became the World Junior Champion in 2010, won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and silver at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow before being crowned as the World Indoor Champion in Sopot in 2014.
Barshim has shown great form in 2014, he already jumped 2.30m at his national championships in April and crossed bars at 2.37m at the Doha Diamond League meeting on May, 9th, 2.41m at the Rome DL (June, 5th) and 2.42m at the New York DL (June, 14th)!
The Men’s High Jump at the AG Insurance Memorial Van Damme dates back from 2005. The meeting record is held by Hollis Conway from the USA with 2.38m (1990).
