Barshim beats Bondarenko in Brussels with Asian high jump record – IAAF Diamond League

For a brief moment, it looked as though Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim was in trouble at the IAAF Diamond League final in Brussels on Friday (5).

His first failure came at 2.28m, allowing arch-rival Bogdan Bondarenko to steal an early march in the competition. The Ukrainian world champion enjoyed first-time clearances at 2.28m, 2.34m and 2.37m.

Barshim, meanwhile, knocked the bar off again at 2.37m and a victory – not only in the Belgian capital but also in the Diamond Race – was looking less and less likely.

But as the conditions became more humid, Barshim began to feel more and more at home. He sailed over 2.40m at the first time of asking, as did Bondarenko.

The deciding moment came with the bar at 2.43m. Barshim, the world indoor champion, engineered a beautiful clearance. Not only was it a world-leading mark, but it also broke his own Asian record as well as the IAAF Diamond League record.