Barshim preparing for ‘final’ Olympics

Qatar’s high jump superstar Mutaz Barshim, who’s eyes are fixed on another gold medal at the Paris Games, feels the Games will mark his final Olympic participation. "I think this would be my last Olympics. You never know. I have been around the last few years, but I think this would be my last Games,” Barshim said.The 33-year-old Barshim, who will also carry Qatar’s flag at the Paris 2024 opening ceremony along with co-athlete Shahad Mohamed, has already won an Olympic gold (Tokyo 2020) and two Olympic silver medals (London 2012 and Rio 2016) besides three world championships gold, three Asian Games gold medals, five Asian Indoor Championships medals, one Military and one Arab Games gold, besides World and Asian Junior gold, and three Arab Championships golds. He also holds the Asian record in high jump.Barshim said he seeks to set a legacy while aiming to retain his gold medal from Tokyo, aiming to set a high standard for future high jumpers to surpass. Asked about what he wants his legacy to be, Barshim said: "I want to create a legacy. When I retire, I want to look back and say: ‘I’ve done the most ‘that was possible...to be done.’"Adding one more medal, like in Paris, definitely will stretch out the lead and make it more difficult for the next high jumper...to surpass me. I want them to look at me and, hopefully to be one of the greats. I want my name to be mentioned whenever high jump is mentioned,” he stressed.