Barshim wins World high jump bronze

Qatar’s high jump icon Mutaz Essa Barshim missed out on a fourth World Championships crown but he became the first man to win five medals in the event in Budapest Tuesday.Two years on from their shared gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi took sole ownership of the gold, ending Barshim's reign as world champion, which goes back to 2017.Tamberi captured his first world high jump title in a dramatic finish against young American JuVaughn Harrison. The Italian showman cleared a world-leading 2.36 metres for gold. He missed at one attempt at 2.40 and then called it a night, his victory secured.Tamberi had an early miss at his opening height, but from then on the Italian had first-time clearances at 2.29m, 2.33m and 2.36m - the latter of which proved critical. The 24-year-old Harrison also cleared 2.36 but had more misses on the countback, and so took silver for his first senior global medal.Barshim tried to rouse the crowd at the National Athletics Centre as he went for his third and final attempt at 2.36m. But his challenge for a fourth successive world crown ended as a damp squib, the Qatari bowing out at 2.33m.The 32-year-old, who has the second best jump in history – 2.43 behind Cuban great Javier Sotomayor (2.45 in 1993) – looked in for a rough night when he missed his first attempt at 2.25. "I consider this bronze as history," Barshim said. "In any competition, our ambition is gold and victory, but this is sport. With this bronze, I became the only athlete in the history of the high jump to win five medals in the world championships and I am very proud."Tuesday’s bronze was Barshim’s fifth Worlds medal, having won gold at the 2017 London, 2019 Doha and 2022 Eugene championships. He also has a silver from 2013 Moscow, which was his second appearance.His sharing of gold with good friend and rival Tamberi was one of the most memorable moments of the Tokyo Olympics. But the Italian stood alone Tuesday, to the delight of the raucous Italian fans in the crowd, who chanted "Gimbo! Gimbo!" as he waved his long arms in encouragement.The 31-year-old, wearing one green sock and one red, and his face shaved on only one side, leapt into the water hazard of the steeplechase in wild celebration with Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, who had just raced to gold in the men's 3,000m steeplechase.Silver was a terrific result for Harrison, who in Tokyo became the first American since Jim Thorpe in 1912 to compete in both the long jump, finishing fifth, and high jump (seventh) at the Olympics. In total, six men cleared 2.33m - the first time that has happened in a World Championships final for 30 years.