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Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s twitter bio, says: ‘Chronically indecisive so I’ve adopted two surnames & the heptathlon.’ But at the Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday night, there was no sign of any indecisiveness from the British athlete, as she finally put an end to the heartaches she suffered at multiple World Championships and at the Rio Olympics. The 26-year-old set personal bests in four of the seven events in a mentally and physically draining heptathlon over the course of two days, to finally land a world title in Doha. Johnson-Thompson not just had to overcome her own demons but also had to beat Nafissatou Thiam, the Belgian defending world and Olympic champion, who was undefeated since the 2016 European Championships. In the end, the gap between Johnson-Thompson and Thiam was a huge 304 points, the biggest winning margin of victory at a World Championships for 32 years. Such was her dominance that she also climbed to sixth in the all-time lists and set a new British record with a total tally of 6,981 points. Thiam had to settle for silver with 6,677pts with Austria’s Verena Preiner taking bronze with 6,560pts. “I’m just speechless. I can’t believe it. It’s been such a long time coming for me. I’ve been chasing this since 2016, slowly, slowly trying to make improvements, and now I’ve finally done it,” a delighted Johnson-Thompson said. “And I broke the British record. I was there on the sidelines when Jess (Jessica Ennis-Hill) set that record so to say it is now mine is unbelievable. This is my fourth World Championships and at the first one, I was just 20 years old, then, at the other two, I was not doing well.  “So I was so happy to compete here and I have to thank all the team standing behind me and believing in me. It all goes to my family, friends and the people who were helping me in the past. My mum - I think we are going to cry in the mixed zone. Now for Tokyo Olympics. I just need to be at my best like I was here,” she added. After the disappointment of 2015 Worlds and 2016 Rio Olympics, Johnson-Thompson had to make some tough life decisions. She changed her coach and moved her base from Liverpool to France. But she suffered another ignominy, this time at home, when she finished fifth at the 2017 London Worlds.  “Everyone’s got their journey,” she said. “It’s not been very straightforward for me. It’s not been easy for me. I had to move coach. I had to move country, I had to learn a new language and settle in. I tore everything up and started again and it’s worked. “The last two World Championships have been heartbreaking for my mum and I. Mid-heptathlon, I’ve gone back to my hotel and cried and cried for hours when things have gone badly. It was after the high jump in London in 2017 and after the long jump in 2015 in Beijing. Those were the low points of my career. Rio Olympics, as well. I’ve had a lot of bad years. I’m just so happy that I came out in front for a change,” she added. In Doha, Johnson-Thompson started her quest for gold with an impressive performance in the 110m hurdles, where she shaved off 0.20 seconds from her previous best to win her heat in 13.09s.   “The hurdles was the biggest surprise. I never dreamt I could run that fast, 13-zero, when I’ve been stuck at 13.3 for as long as I can remember. That set me up for the heptathlon as soon as I saw the clock stop at that time. The most challenging event was the 200 because of the tight schedule and we didn’t get a chance to warm up properly,” she said. Johnson-Thompson was in touching distance of going past 7000 mark as she began the final event of the heptathlon – the 800m. A time of 2:06 seconds would have enabled the world indoor pentathlon champion to achieve the 7k landmark, but she crossed the finish line in 2:07.27, which was enough to erase Ennis Hill’s seven-year-old British record. “I love the 800m, funnily enough. It is one of my strongest events,” as Johnson-Thompson explained her approach towards her final event. “I have been training very hard for it this year. The light show before it got me psyched to go. I train very hard week in, week out for it so all that has to be for something. It’s a good way to finish off a heptathlon for me, to just go out and put it all on the line. Seven thousand points wasn’t meant to be but hopefully I am on a roll now for the future.”

Dina Asher-Smith was presented with a golden opportunity and the Briton grabbed it with both the hands as she clinched the women’s 200m title at the IAAF World Championships in Doha. The 23-year-old was a clear favourite going into last night’s final at the Khalifa International Stadium, after reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson was forced to pull out of the competition due to Achilles injury. Earlier, defending champion Dafne Schippers had abandoned her title defence after the Dutch strained an adductor muscle. It left Asher-Smith with a chance to create history by becoming the first British woman to win a World Championships individual sprint title. And she achieved the feat in style by shaving off her personal best by 0.01 seconds to win in 21.88. She got off to a flying start and established a healthy lead, generating speed around the bend, before cruising home. American Brittany Brown took silver after pulling away through the straight line and finished with her own personal best of 22.22 seconds, while Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji blitzed through the final 50m for bronze in 22.51. Asher-Smith reunited with her mother after the race as the sizeable British crowd at the Khalifa Stadium roared in approval. “Normally, I’m quite chatty and everything but I’m lost for words,” she said, as the tears rolled down her face. Poland's Pawel Fajdek celebrates after winning the hammer throw at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha  “I just don’t know what to say. I don’t think it’s properly sunk in. Between now and the last World Championships, I knew I could do it but it’s a different thing actually going and doing it,” she added. Asher-Smith had won the 100m silver earlier on Sunday and will be hoping for another medal in the relay with the British team. “It’s a different thing with everybody being like, ‘ah, you’re the favourite’. But you’ve still got to go and do it. You’re only the favourite if you perform as people expect you to. So, I was just really focused on putting together a great race. I dreamed of it but now it’s real,” she added. The men’s 100m hurdles final had all the drama on the night, with Grant Holloway of the US grabbing the world title in 13.10 seconds after defending champion Omar McLeod stumbled to the finish line to come last. The Jamaican, Omar McLeod, who is also the Olympic champion, took the lead at the half-way mark but tripped on the hurdle as he came tumbling down before the finish line. Later McLeod was disqualified for disrupting the run of Diamond League champion Orlando Ortega in the next lane, with the Spaniard forced to settle for a fifth place after being in the second position for most of the race. Holloway, however, was over the moon as he celebrated his victory on his Worlds debut by continuing his sprint for a further 100m before collapsing on his back. Russian Sergey Shubenkovm running as a neutral athlete, took silver in 13.15, while European champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde of France finished third in 13.18. “I am speechless, it’s my first major championships and a lot of people were counting me out because I’ve been off my game in the last month or so. But when you have motivation you never lose. I kept believing in myself, I kept focused and I stayed healthy,” Holloway said. “I came here to win every round and that’s what I did. When you step on the line no one cares what you’ve done before. It’s all about here and now. I just took it one hurdle and one round at a time and tried to stay calm. I came out here for the final stress free. At no point in the race was I trying to figure things out,” he added. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Asian Games Champion Ashraf Amgad El Seify finished the hammer throw final in ninth place with a best throw of 75.09. Poland’s Pawel Fajdek collected his fourth world gold medal in the event – the first man in history to achieve the feat in the hammer throw. Fajdek hurled the hammer at a distance of 80.50m. The silver went to France's Quentin Bigot (78.19m), who beat Hungarian Bence Halasz by a single centimetre. In a huge surprise, the men’s 400m favourite Michael Norman failed to qualify for the final. The American made a quick start in the first 100m but slowed down considerably, choosing to just jog till the finish line as he finished seventh and last in the third semi-final. Later, Norman did not specify what was plaguing him. "My body was giving me warnings, and I listened to those warnings," he said. “I had a great warm-up, felt good, but did not balance the things for a while. It is kind of devastating to come out here, work for 330 days and not make it to the final. It has been a bit up and down for a while. I am very disappointed,” he added. Norman owned the fastest time in the world coming into the championships and won the Diamond League title just a few weeks ago. In Norman’s absence, Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner is the frontrunner for the gold, after he finished ahead of 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James in the semi-final. In the women’s heptathlon, Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished the day one of the combined events with a lead of 96 points over Belgium’s Nafissatou Thaim. Wednesday, athletes competed in the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200m. Today they will be in action in the long jump, javelin and 800m. Johnson-Thompson points tally was 4138, while Thiam has 4042. In third place was Kendell Williams of the US with a score of 3855, with her compatriot Erica Bougard a further two points behind. “I am really happy about my season bests and my performance today,” Johnson-Thompson said. “I never think of these things like where I am after the first day. I know I am in a good shape, I am where I needed to be and the way I competed. Gold - why not? I am in shape and position to do it but you never know what can happen on day two. But I have worked hard on my second day, so anything is possible,” she added.

After winning the IAAF World Championships 200m title on Tuesday night, Noah Lyles sank into the arms of his mother Keisha at the Khalifa International Stadium. It was an emotional moment between the two as they reminisced the hardships they went through when Lyles was a child. Touted as the next big thing in athletics after the retirement of legendary Usain Bolt, Lyles likes to put on a show. In fact, his American teammate Justin Gatlin describes him as ‘a rock star’, and Lyles certainly wears his confidence on his sleeve. But self-confidence was never his forte while growing up in Gainesville, Florida. Born to Keisha Caine and Kevin Lyles, the former a fine collegiate athlete, the latter a 4x400m relay world champion in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1995, the young Lyles had athletics in his genes. But athletics was last thing on his mind as a child. He was hospitalised with chronic asthma when he was still an infant. Later he was diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder and dyslexia, and studied in remedial school classes. He has also spoken about the bullying he suffered as a child, which pushed him into depression. At 22, the world at his feet, all that is past now. But Lyles has never forgotten the hardships he faced that have toughened him up on and off track. “I’ve had a lot of different challenges through life and it’s shaped me into who I am now,” Lyles said, after his dominant victory at Doha Worlds. “I had chronic asthma, I had my tonsels removed at six. I had the learning disabilities ADD (attention-deficit disorder) and dyslexia. I was in the slow class at school because I had to learn to read differently.  Mainstream school just wasn’t my strong suit. I got isolated at middle school. I’ve gone through periods of depression and I used track as an outlet. I tried to work on my character as much as I can, on always staying happy and loving what I do. “In high school I cried because I thought I was going to fail out of college and wouldn’t be able to run. My mum said, ‘You could go pro out of high school.’ And I said, ‘People don’t do that.’ Little did I know that I was going to be the first one,” he recalled. On Tuesday night, Lyles became the youngest ever winner of the men’s 200m at the World Championships, earning his maiden senior global title with a 19.83 run. Having dominated the event on the international circuit over the past two years, it was hardly a surprise. Lyles has lost just once at a meeting since finishing fourth at the 2016 US Olympics trials as a high school student. His latest defeat came at the Rome Diamond League in June, where he finished as runner-up to compatriot Michael Norman. Lyles has been tipped to break Bolt‘s 200m world record of 19.19, which was set at the 2009 world championships in Berlin, but the American claimed surpassing Bolt was the last thing on his mind. “Don’t say I’m the new Bolt,” said Lyles. “I’m me. If you like me, I’ll happily entertain you. It’s my time.” “World records aren’t the thing I’m chasing. I’m chasing to be better each day. World records come when you improve what you’re good at and take away what you’re bad at. I’m still working on my start. I still believe I can get a better top-end speed. There are things I can strengthen. But on the right day, with the right conditions and the right training, hopefully a world record will pop up,” Lyles added. Lyles has now set sights on an Olympic double from the 100m and 200m come Tokyo next year. “I’m definitely going after the 1-2 double. I know everyone is asking that, don’t worry,” he assured. “Tokyo is it. This time we got the gold. We got the gold in the 200, and now we are going to get that double gold.” Meanwhile, for now in Doha, Lyles will bid for his second gold as he is slated to run the 4x100m relay where the Americans are the overwhelming favourites.

“I’m always the favourite,” Mutaz Barshim declared as the Qatari defending champion brushed aside concerns over his return from a serious ankle injury to cruise into the high jump final. There wasn’t an iota of doubt that Barshim would not make it to Friday’s final of the IAAF World Championships, but the manner in which he would seal his place was under the spotlight. At the Khalifa International Stadium, though, Barshim allayed any fears over his form and fitness with a flawless performance in the qualifications that would have sent alarming signs to his rivals. Until yesterday, Barshim had competed in just three events this year with a best of 2.27m at the London Diamond League in July. But as a classic idiom goes: ‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man’, Barshim rose to the occasion with a clinical show. The 28-year-old started with a jump of 2.17m, before going past 2.22m, 2.26m and eventually sealing his spot in the final with his season’s best of 2.29m. The crowd that gathered around the first bend of the track remained buoyant throughout as the local hero showed glimpses of what to expect of him in Friday’s final. In none of his four jumps, he even touched the bar, let alone knocking it down. The 2017 world champion showed no signs of any discomfort in his ankle, which had sidelined him for 14 months, and that should augur well for him in the final. “I am happy with the start, no complaints. Hopefully I can comeback on Friday and do my best,” said Barshim, The 2012 Olympic bronze and 2016 silver medallist was not too concerned about his form this year. “The build up doesn’t really matter. I’m here! It’s not about time, it’s the World Championships. It’s about medals. I don’t care if I jump 2.50 or 2.10, I just want to go out there and hope for gold,” he said. When asked if he fancies his chances of a gold medal, Barshim, without any hint of arrogance, said: “I’m always the favourite. It doesn’t matter where I compete.” Barshim said competing at the Doha Worlds had provided him with extra motivation as he began his long road to recovery from injury. “It is home and I feel really good jumping. Today was very important for me because I was pushing myself whole season to jump well at home. Despite the fact that people are sometimes very critical, I am happy to compete here and hopefully to come back in the final and do the hard job,” he said. “I always want to win; it does not matter where it is. Every athlete wants to compete at home so it is special. It is really great to jump in front of the home crowd when you have your family, wife in the stands and it was very important for me, I just want to do this for them It definitely makes these championships special to me and it gives you extra motivation,” he added. Barshim’s main rivals also made it to the 12-man final field, albeit in contrasting manners. While, Russians Ilya Ivanyuk and Mikhail Akimenko cleared 2.29m with ease, this year’s world leader Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus scraped in with a best of 2.26m. Andriy Protsenko of Ukraine, the fourth-place finisher at the 2016 Olympic Games, failed to make the cut.   El   Seify in final Meanwhile, Qatar’s Asian Games champion Ashraf El-Seify qualified for the hammer throw final. In the qualifications, El Seify hurled his best throw of 76.22m, which was just short of the qualification mark set at 76.50. However, it was enough for him to seal his place in the final as he finished in 12th place overall. The final is scheduled for today at 9:40pm. In the men’s 400m, Qatar’s Abdelalah Haroun finished his heats in sixth place in a time of 47.76secs, which was his season’s best. Haroun, who is also returning from an injury, was clearly not at his best. In the men’s 3000m Steeplechase, Qatar’s Yaser Bagharab finished 14th among 15 runners with a time of 8:25.79. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Mariam Farid registered her personal best in the women’s 400m hurdles heats with a time of 1:09.49 secs. Farid was grateful for the opportunity of competing in a world championship. “I am very proud, it’s a dream come true,” said Farid. “On the track, I wanted to cry, it was just so beautiful. I am very happy to improve my new national record by two seconds. This is the first World Championships for the Middle East and it was great to perform in front of my friends and family,” she added.

Day Five of the IAAF World Championship stuck mainly to it’s script with Qatar’s high jump icon Mutaz Barshim qualifying for the high jump final while Noah Lyles justified his heavy favourite's tag by winning the 200 metres gold. With the home crowd’s focus firmly on him, defending champion Barshim cruised into the high jump final, keeping Qatar’s hopes of a golden glory alive. The 28-year-old, who has barely competed since his 14-month absence due to a serious ankle injury, looked in imperious form as he soared past 2.29 meters and seal his place for Friday’s final. The night at the Khalifa International Stadium ended on a predictable note, as the American Lyles romped to a 200m triumph for his first world title. Australia's Kelsey-Lee Barber celebrates winning Women's Javelin Throw gold, at the Khalifa International Stadium, Doha The Diamond League winner took the victory in 19.83 seconds, 0.12 faster than Andre de Grasse of Canada. Alex Quinonez of Ecuador finished third in 19.98. The 22-year-old Lyles has been in a league of his own this year, having lost only once -- to Michael Norman on June 6 in Rome. Britain’s Adam Gemili was the best starter but Lyles took charge with 70 metres remaining and never let his lead slip. He pulled clear of the chasing pack with ease, even as a tiring Gemili missed out on a medal by just 0.05-seconds. Lyles’s celebration was low key, unlike for a man who had won his maiden world title, as he wrapped the US’ flag and just smiled at the cameras. Later, he spoke about how he had dreamed of this moment a million times. “So many times this year I've thought of being world champion, you wouldn't believe it -- I have on my phone, I say it to myself in my car, I think it all the time -- and finally to have done it feels unbelievable. I don't know how many people come to their first World Championships and get the gold, but I've done it,” said Lyles. Noah Lyles of the US celebrates winning Men's 200 Metres gold at the Khalifa International Stadium, Doha “I just knew no matter what position I found myself in I can always find a way to come through. And when I crossed the line I just felt relief. This time last year I'd only just started running. Think of that. Don't say I'm the new Bolt. I'm me. If you like me, I'll happily entertain you. It's my time,” the confident American added. Lyles’ gold was US’ third of the night, after wins for Sam Kendricks in the pole vault and Donavan Brazier in the 800m. The most captivating contest of the night came in the men’s pole vault final, as Kendricks defended his world title. The American was pushed to the limit by 19-year-old sensation Armand Duplantis of Sweden. Kendricks was always the man to beat in the final, and the talented Duplantis came tantalisingly close to doing so in a thriller, which brought the crowd to it’s feet on more than one occasion. Duplantis was aiming to become the youngest world champion in the event since Sergey Bubka, who at 19 years and 253 days won the first of his six world titles in Helsinki in 1983. On the other hand, Kendricks was attempting to emulate Bubka by winning the world title consecutive times. USA's Donavan Brazier celebrates after winning the Men's 800m final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha Kendricks and Duplantis both cleared 5.97 meters, the best height at a world championship since 2001. However, the 27-year-old Kendricks took the title because he had fewer failures at lower heights, four compared to five for Duplantis. After an exhausting final where they attempted to clear 6.02, the pair embraced each other before collapsing onto the mat. Poland’s Piotr Lisek picked up a bronze as all three went in for a lap of honour. Meanwhile, Olympic champion Thiago Braz of Brazil settled for fifth with a best of 5.70. World record holder Renaud Lavillenie of France was missing from the final after becoming the biggest name to bow out in qualifying. “I am elated, stunned, excited all at the same time. It's almost hard to take it in. To have three men over six all going for it made it such a memorable night. We weren't dueling as enemies, but as rivals and friends,” Kendricks said. The women’s javelin throw too was no short of drama, with Kelsey-Lee Barber final throw of 66.56m making her the first Australian to win a world javelin title. Shiying Liu (65.88) and Huihui Lyu (65.49) of China settled for silver and bronze respectively. Lyu had won 12 successive meets coming into Doha Worlds, but could not replicate her best performance. As the result was thrown on a big screen, Barber collapsed to the ground in disbelief. Meanwhile, Donavan Brazier of the US broke the championship and national record to win the men’s 800m in some style. Brazier took command of the field at the halfway point and ran away with a convincing victory in 1:42.34 seconds, ahead of Amel Tuka of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1:43.47. A late surge gave Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich the bronze medal in 1:43.47. “I've said all season that my goal was to get the gold here and to break this record, and that's what I did. It means the world to me. To be world champion at 22 years old, I can't believe it,” said a delighted Brazier. “The plan was always to take it on with 300 to go and go from there, no matter what the pace was. I really had to dig deep for it. To be the first from US to win a world 800m title feels wonderful. I hope I get some love for it back home,” he added.

It’s been a harrowing last 14 months for Mutaz Barshim. After the high of 2017, when the Qatari became the world high jump champion and was named World Athlete of the Year, Barshim had a nightmarish end to 2018. Just when it looked like sky is the limit for Barshim, he suffered a serious ankle injury in July last year that not just scuppered his chances of breaking the 26-year-old world record but also ruled him out of the action for rest of the year. What’s worse was Barshim sustained injury while he came tantalisingly close to scaling a would-be 2.46m world record at the Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar, Hungary. Since then, it’s not only been a battle to get fit for the 28-year-old but also reclaim his rightful place at the top. Barshim made a winning comeback at Sopot Grand Prix Athletics in Poland in June with a modest jump of 2.27m, before finishing second with the same mark at the London Diamond League in July. But a 2.20m at the Diamond League final in Zurich, where he finished a distant 10th, shows it will take some time before Barshim attains his peak. The later-than-usual scheduling of the World Championships at his home turf has given Barshim an extra time and cushion to defend his title. It will be foolhardy to rule out Barshim winning any silverware this Friday. However, it will be interesting to see how he tackles the qualification today, where the mark to qualify for the final is set at 2.31m. He would also sail into the final if he is one of the 12 best performers on the night. With home crowd rooting for him at the Khalifa International Stadium, Barshim will need no extra inspiration and is ready to soar high again. On the eve of his event, Barshim spoke of his road to recovery. “What was crazy was when I got out of surgery, a few hours ago, I was trying to jump a world record, and a few hours later I couldn’t even walk,” said the Olympic bronze and silver medallist in 2012 and 2016 respectively. Now Barshim is determined to make history at his home turf. “I’m a person that loves sports. I really love track and field. I like to be active. It was a big challenge having to do the most, with the least training. But hey, I’m here though! We’ve got one more target to go, at the World Championships. I hope for the best then,” added Barshim. One thing that will favour Barshim is the overall level of the event at the moment. Nineteen entrants in Doha have topped 2.30m or better this season, but of those, only four have successfully sailed over 2.33m. On only one occasion has a championships-eligible jumper who has topped 2.31m not emerged from a competition victorious. So a jump of 2.30m, or even 2.29m, might be enough for Barshim to reach the podium at the World Championships. But the Qatari will have enough competition to counter this time. Hot on his heels will be this year’s world leader Maksim Nedasekau. The 21-year-old Belarusian improved to 2.35m to win the Europe-USA match in Minsk earlier this month, but that is his only leap better than 2.30m this season. Russians Ilya Ivanyuk and Mikhail Akimenko have chiselled together good seasons, both topping 2.33m and 2.31m. Andriy Protsenko of Ukraine, the fourth-place finisher at the 2016 Olympic Games, topped a 2.31m season’s best to win the Diamond League title last month. Then there’s Bogdan Bondarenko, the 2013 world champion, who topped 2.31m earlier this season despite continuing struggles with injury. Syria’s Majd Eddin Ghazal, the world bronze medallist, is piecing together a season of firsts which he hopes to add to in Doha: jumping at Khalifa Stadium, he took his first Asian title in Doha in April at 2.31m and in July topped 2.30m in London to secure his first career IAAF Diamond League victory. Others to consider include 2018 Diamond League winner Brandon Starc of Australia, who has topped 2.30m twice, most recently in Zurich; China’s Wang Yu, who topped 2.31m and 2.30m for victories in Shanghai and Nanjing; 2016 world indoor champion Gianmarco Tamberi, who is also on the rebound from injury; and 22-year-old Cuban Luis Zayas, who topped 2.30m to take the Pan-American Games crown.

For a moment, Abderrahman Samba thought he had missed a world medal by a whisker. The Qatari dropped down to his knees as he looked at the giant screen at the Khalifa International stadium. But as the screen flashed the results of the 400m hurdles, Samba was up in a flash as the crowd joined him in a celebratory roar. The Qatari hurdler, who was laid low by injuries for most of the year, had won a bronze at the IAAF World Championships. And it is bound to be a popular third-place finish in Qatar’s sporting history as it came on home soil. Norway’s Karsten Warholm won gold in 47.42 seconds, while the United States’ Rai Benjamin took silver in 47.66. Samba’s time was 48.03, but at one point it looked like the Qatari athlete would struggle to make it to the podium. Samba was never in the running for gold, but nonetheless ran a well-judged race. The local hero outpaced Kyron McMaster of British Virgin Islands in the final strides to snatch a bronze. “I think I cannot explain this feeling today because it’s amazing,” said Samba as he went for a lap of honour around Khalifa stadium. “I know third place was not my (desired) place but I say thank God because three days ago I was not sure to compete or not. “This season was very hard for me because I had a lot of injuries. I say thank you God because I’m here tonight and I celebrate with this medal,” the 24-year-old said. Samba was already looking forward to the next showdown against his rivals. “Actually, I started to prepare for next season now because I’m happy with the medal but I’m not happy with the place. I’m going to prepare myself for next season now,” he declared. At the half-way point, it was Benjamin who took the lead, but Warholm kept the American in his sights. The World No.1 Warholm pulled away from Benjamin over the final three barriers to defend his world title. Warholm said he was not expecting to win gold, despite carrying the favourite’s tag. “It’s very easy to say that you knew (I would win) afterwards. I want to say it too, but I wasn’t too sure, to be honest. “This was a very tough race. I actually felt my heart was going to stop, it’s no joke! I actually had pain in my chest, thinking I’m going to die but it’s going be worth it. And here I am, world champion and I’m not dead either,” the Norwegian said. “This is only the beginning. I’m very lucky to win. In the future, these guys are going to be even tougher to beat so tomorrow I’ve gotta get up and work again. That’s what I love, always one more,” Warholm added. Meanwhile, Muktar Edris sent Ethiopian fans at the stadium into a frenzy as he defended his 5000m title in a stunning 12minutes 58.86 seconds. With Edris not at his best coming into the event, it was supposed to be a wildly unpredictable race. The 25-year-old had finished 11th and 18th in his two Diamond League races this season, and there was a huge question mark over him finishing even in the top three on Monday. Edris also had the slowest season’s best out of the finalists but the 2017 champion kept his stranglehold in the event with a stunning final 200m run where he outsprinted compatriot Selemon Barega. Canadian Mohamed Ahmed denied an Ethiopian podium sweep as he pushed Telahun Haile Bekele to fourth place and picked up bronze. Even as the lead fluctuated frequently, the Ethiopians ran as a team and it paid rich dividends. Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the European champion, in a rare occurrence competed with his older brothers Henrik and Filip. Jakob stayed in touch with the leading pack before taking a lead momentarily at the start of the final lap, but faded away as the Ethiopians took control. While Jakob finished fifth, Henrik was 13th out of 15 winners, Filip failed to finish the race. In the women’s 3000m steeplechase, Beatrice Chepkoech demolished the field to finally land a world title with a championships record time of 8:57.84 secs. Two years ago in London, the Kenyan had missed the first water jump, having to double back and clear it, then took a tumble and was spent late in the race. Last night, Chepkoech flew to a quick start and established a 20m lead, never to look back as she cruised to the title. The 28-year-old is a world record holder as she lived up to her top billing as she won by a huge margin of five seconds. Defending champion Emma Coburn of United States had to be content with silver medal this time, with a bronze for German Gesa Felicitas Krause, which came in a national record time. “I was excited to be in front and controlled. I am glad to improve the championships record because I knew the time Emma ran in London so I really wanted to break CR today,” said Chepkoech after winning the race. “I want to dedicate this medal to my parents – my dad and mum.” Meanwhile, Halima Nakaayi outsprinted Diamond League champion Ajee Wilson over the home stretch to win the 800m women’s race in a Ugandan record of 1:58.04. Pre-race favourite Wilson of the US tried to dictate the pace from the front. But the Ugandan challenge was coming with Nakaayi and Winnie Nanyondo attacking the long-time leader. Nakaayi soon asserted herself at the front to take gold in 1:58.04 with Wilson losing second to her teammate Raevyn Rogers as Nanyondo faded into fourth. Russian Mariya Lasitskene continued her dominance by becoming the first three-time women’s high jump world champion. In a tense final, the 26-year-old, who is one of only 30 Russian athletes allowed to compete in Doha under the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) banner, took gold ahead of Ukraine's 18-year-old Yaroslava Mahuchikh. Lasitskene, the 2015 and 2017 champion, claimed victory after clearing a height of 2.04m to win on count-back ahead of Mahuchikh. Vashti Cunningham of the United States took bronze. Sweden’s Daniel Stahl, the heavy favourite, won the discus title with a throw of 67.59m. Fedrick Dacres of Jamaica won silver with 66.94 and Austria’s Lukas Weisshaidinger took bronze with 66.82.

Fillipo Tortu finished seventh in a high quality 100m final at the IAAF World Championships final in Doha on Saturday. But the Italian has firmly set his sights of winning a medal at the Tokyo Olympics next year. The 21-year-old is the national record holder in the 100m with a time of 9.99 — the first ever Italian to dip below 10 seconds for the distance. While a medal in Tokyo would be a farfetched thought considering the high-quality field he will come up against, Tortu might just spring a surprise if he follows the advice of a certain Carl Lewis. Yesterday, Tortu was rapt in attention as he sat next to American legend Lewis, who was the centre of attraction at an event organised by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) in collaboration with the Qatar Sports Press Committee at the Torch tower. Lewis, voted in 1999 as the International Olympic Committee’s ‘Sportsman of the Century’, boasts ten Olympic medals — nine of them gold — over four Summer Games during a legendary 17-year career. The 58-year-old, who serves as an assistant track coach at his alma mater, the University of Houston, reminisced about his incredible successes and shared some valuable tips with Tortu. “You can clock the fastest time which you may have targeted before the race but still you may end up losing. Don’t target the medal, focus on your timing, your performance and forget about the rest,” Lewis told Tortu, with the silver medallist at the 2016 World U-20 Championships paying attention to detail. “Focus your goal having it clear and without being afraid to tell it loud. This is your objective and you work with it always in your mind. Think of yourself as a business for your long term career and your training for your short term career; so figure out how you are going to maximise this time. In anything you are going to have to make sacrifices. So now you are in professional track and field you have to think like a professional. Think of what you can do and what you and your manager can do to maximise this moment because you are going to build a brand,” added Lewis. Over the course of interaction, which lasted for one hour, Lewis touched base on many topics, including the need for world athletics governing body, IAAF, to improve in the way it runs the sport. Lewis felt athletics has not evolved like other sports such as football, basketball and cricket. “If you look at the way every single popular sport is run, it’s different. The stadium looks spectacular the presentation is spectacular, they take care of every little detail,” said Lewis, who equalled Jesse Owens’ legendary performance by winning four golds in a single Olympics at the Los Angeles Games in 1984. “Even things like... why are we still putting numbers on our chests? They put numbers with pins? If we were thinking of television, we would take that off so that you will see the uniform on TV. We are just not progressing, we are just doing the same thing over and over. If you go to other sports, every little detail is taken care of and there is entertainment. These sports they become television shows they strived to get better and better,” he added. Lewis also shed his thoughts on today’s sprint events, comparing it to his times. “It’s obviously very, very competitive but I don’t think it’s any more competitive at the championship level than it was back when we were competing. I think it’s just competitive throughout the season. So with all the technology and all the high performance tracks and everything else, we could have had second and third 30 years later,” the American noted. He also complained about the less prize money for the athletes. “My issue is that they pay $60,000 for the winner. We were paid $60,000 for the winner in 1997. So if you look at it in US Dollars - a cost of living increase - it should be 93,000 this year. So they are paying the same prize money and every year the athletes get less. So 30,000 is the value of gold medal now,” he said. Also on the panel, which was moderated by AIPS President Gianni Merlo, was Lewis’ compatriot Leroy Burrell, who twice set the world record for the 100m sprint. Burrell dwelled on the future legacy of athletics. “Well, having been competing thirty years ago with timings that are still among the top three of the world means that athletics is still a human sport. What it’s important to think about, more than focusing on past years mistake is that we leave the sport better than it was and everybody can do this part for this,” Burrell said.

Al Sadd maintained their stronghold on Al Duhail as they beat their perennial rivals 1-0 to clinch the Sheikh Jassim Cup Saturday. Ali Asad scored the all-important goal in the 13th minute but it was Akram Afif who was the star of the show as he spearheaded Sadd’s dominating performance at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. The win also ensured a brilliant start to Xavi’s managerial career as the Spaniard won his first title as coach. Last week, he had led Sadd to quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League with a 4-2 aggregate win over Duhail. Sadd now have won the Sheikh Jassim Cup 15 times, more than anyone in history, and it was also their record 70th overall trophy. Goal-scorer Asad was delighted to have played a key role in Sadd’s victory. “It is a good start to the season. This trophy will provide us with plenty of confidence as we approach the QNB Stars League and AFC Champions League matches,” he said. “Although we had many opportunities, we could not convert them into goals. But the most important thing is to win the match, which we did. Now we will work hard to win many more titles,” he added. Duhail coach Rui Faria watched in frustration from the sidelines as his team wasted plenty of chances in the first 10 minutes of the contest. Iraqi prodigy Mohanad Ali, who arrived from Al Shorta this summer, had a golden chance to put Duhail ahead in the ninth minute, but for a brilliant last-ditch effort from Sadd defender Boualem Khoukhi. While Sadd goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb was kept busy by impressive Edmilson Junior and Mohanad, it was Sadd who went ahead with a brilliant counterattack. Akram, who has been in prolific perform of late, was instrumental in creating the winning goal for Sadd. One of the brightest prospects in Qatari football, Akram dribbled around three Duhail defenders with ease as he set up an easy tap in for Asad. In the 30th minute, Akram created another opportunity but this time Pedro failed to shoot with precision as Duhail goalkeeper Claude Amine made a regulation save. Two minutes later, Akram had a chance to get into scoresheet but the 22-year-old failed to connect an easy volley. Sadd had more opportunities in the 35th and 43rd minute to increase the lead, but Hassan al-Haydos and Asad shot wide, even as Duhail struggled to string any scoring opportunities. Post interval, Sadd continued to dominate the possession as Duhail players were left increasingly frustrated. With chances coming far and few for Duhail in attack, Amine kept his team in the match with a timely save off al-Haydos’ fierce strike in the 60th minute. In the ensuing counterattack, Duhail squandered an opportunity to draw level as Mohanad shot into the stands. The introduction of Nam Tae-hee, who swapped Duhail for Sadd over the summer, in the 63rd minute added more trouble for his former team. The South Korean playmaker along with Akram was a constant threat. It only got worse for Duhail in the 67th minute, as experienced Luiz Junior was sent off for stamping into Salem al-Hajri’s thigh. Though unintentional, Luiz was shown a second yellow card after the referee took the help of VAR. Meanwhile, Akram’s elder sibling Ali Afif came close to drawing level, but again sloppy finishing did not help Duhail’s cause. Meanwhile, Edmilson was lucky to stay on the pitch as a cynical foul on Sadd captain Gabi went unpunished. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Duhail could have taken the game into penalties with Mohamed Muntari presented with the best chance. But the substitute’s clumsy effort was cleared by Pedro. In the injury time, Duhail defender Assim Madibo was sent off for a lunging foul on Gabi, making it a forgettable night for Faria and his men.

Al Duhail midfielder Ali Afif has urged his teammates to put the AFC Champions League loss behind them and focus on winning the Sheikh Jassim Cup against Al Sadd Saturday. Qatar football’s season-opening contest between the two domestic giants has added an extra spice to the encounter, which kicks off at 7:15pm at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, after Sadd beat their perennial rivals to progress into the AFC Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday. The two teams are expected to battle it out for the QNB Stars League this season, which begins this Wednesday. But before that, they would be keen to lay their hands on the Sheikh Jassim Cup. Undoubtedly, Sadd will go into the contest at their home ground as clear favourites but Duhail can spring a surprise as they did in the Amir Cup final in May. While Duhail will be hamstrung by the absence of key players – defender Mehdi Benatia and forward Almoez Ali, Sadd too will miss the services of Baghdad Bounedjah, Hamed Ismail and Tarek Salman, who are under suspension after being sent off in the Amir Cup final. Sadd still look stronger on paper, with Ali Afif’s younger brother Akram in prolific form, while South Korea playmaker Nam Tae-hee, who swapped Duhail for Sadd over the summer, running the show in the midfield. The Qatar league champions also look well settled under new coach Xavi, who announced his retirement over the summer and is leading the Wolves now from the dugout. Ali Afif asserted that Duhail will go into the match determined to win the title. “Al Duhail players always have the ambition to win matches and titles. So it is a very important match for us and we are seeking nothing less than a victory, because it will also boost our morale for the season ahead,” the 31-year-old said. “The loss against Al Sadd in the AFC Champions League is not the end for us. It will not affect our desire to win the matches for the club. One loss does not make us a bad team. We learn from our mistakes. We have young players in squad, who are talented and ambitious and want to do well for the club this season,” the Qatar international added. Rui Faria’s men made two major changes to their squad over the summer with Youssef El Arabi and Shoya Nakajima bidding adieu to the club, which has hampered their start to the season. Now it’s up to skipper Youssef Msakni, who returned after a short loan spell at KAS Eupen, to lead the charge along with impressive Edmilson Junior, who is sure to dominate the goal-scoring charts the season. Faria can also call upon Iraqi prodigy Mohanad Ali, who arrived from Al Shorta this summer. Ali Afif hopes to play a key role in Saturday’s match but emphasised the role of all the 11 players against a strong Sadd side. “All the 11 players will have to work hard for the team. I hope we can play as a team and present a good level against Sadd. When we start the match, you will see that we have forgotten our loss in the AFC Champions League,” he said. Meanwhile, Al Sadd midfielder Ahmed Sayyar believes that his side is fully prepared to get another victory over Al Duhail. Speaking to the media at the pre-match press conference, Ahmed said: “It will be a tough game for both sides. Our team is ready, mentally and physically, for this game, particularly after we qualified for the next stage of the AFC Champions League.” He added: “The Sheikh Jassim Cup title could be a good start for the team at the beginning of the season, and we are ready for it. We’ve had a positive phase recently, especially during the pre-season. The victory in the Champions League fixture will be a real boost for us, as we look to put more wins on board.” The Sheikh Jassim Cup, launched in 1977, over the years, has been played in the month of August and sets things in motion for an exciting season. The tournament is a one-off match between the winners of the QNB Star League (QSL) and Amir Cup. Al Rayyan won the previous edition of the tournament after beating Al Duhail 6-4. Al Sadd have the most impeccable record in the tournament with 14 trophies.

Misbah-ul-Haq still carries a calm demeanour off the field, just like he did during his playing days. It’s been two years since Pakistan’s most successful Test captain retired from cricket at the age of 43, and Misbah still continues to lead by example. His leadership skills helped lift Pakistan from the depths of the spot-fixing saga in England in 2010. Now, in what he calls his second and most important innings, Misbah is on a much bigger mission. Misbah has joined hands with Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF) to establish Pakistan’s first hospital dedicated to congenital heart defects (CHD) among children. Despite his busy schedule these days, the former middle-order batsman, who played 75 Tests and 162 one-day internationals for Pakistan, still follows cricket like he did growing up in Mianwali. On a recent visit to Doha to raise awareness for the hospital, Misbah, like any cricket connoisseur was excited about the ongoing World Cup, which began in England last Thursday. In this freewheeling interview, Misbah gave his predictions on which four teams will make it to the semis. He also spoke about Pakistan’s chances, on why he considers India’s Virat Kohli as the best batsman and his opinion about single league format for the World Cup. Excerpts: Which are the four teams you think will reach the semi-finals at the World Cup, and who you consider as the favourite to win the title? For me, the three teams to qualify for the semis are England, India, Australia. The fourth team? I don’t know honestly. It could be any team because there is not much difference between them. England have been tipped to end their World Cup drought this time. What makes them favourites this time? I feel the most important thing for England is the way they are playing in home conditions. In the last two years they have beaten every opposition at home. The quality they have in their batting line up makes a huge difference to their favourite status. They have top class batsmen in their side and also they have players till No. 11, who can contribute with the bat. Then there is Jos Buttler who can finish off games for them. Previously, they have struggled to play against spin, but now they have players who can handle the spin bowling. They also have good spin bowlers. Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali have done well for them recently and that adds a lot to their bowling. Now they also have (Jofra) Archer and Mark Wood back in the team, and with (Liam) Plunkett and (Chris) Woakes the way they have been bowling, I consider England as the favourites to win at home. Having said that, there is an another factor called pressure. And it will be interesting to see how England handle the pressure. The pressure of not winning the World Cup is big enough, so when you reach the semis and final, you have to cope with the pressure factor and if England can successfully do that, they will be worthy winners. What to do you make of India’s chances? India are my second favourites to win the title. They too are a powerful team, considering their recent performances and strength in batting and bowling. I don’t think India ever had such a rich bowling resources in the past, especially in seam bowling. They have No. 1 bowler in the world in Jasprit Bumrah and they have Bhuvneshwar (Kumar), who can swing the ball with new ball and he can bowl yorkers too in the death overs. Mohamed Shami is also there and is a different kind of seam bowler. Then they have wrist spinners Kuldeep (Yadav) and Yuzvendra (Chahal), who are attacking and wicket-taking spinners. There is some sort of mystery too in their spin attack. I think they have a balanced team and they know how to win the big tournaments and play in knockout matches. That will be an added advantage for India. Australia have found the form at the right time, having won their last nine matches, including the opener against Afghanistan. Do you think they can spoil England’s home party? My third favourite is Australia, who are always a force when it comes to World Cup. When a team has won five World Cups before and they have players who have experienced that triumph, it makes them one of the contenders. David Warner and Steve Smith are back for Australia and they both are dangerous players. Australia’s confidence is also high, having recently won the series in India and in the UAE against Pakistan. When it comes to handling the pressure in big events, I think they are the best. Pakistan lost to West Indies badly in their opening match. Do you think they can bounce back? Pakistan are mentally very down this time. They need a little bit of spark, the kind they had when they won the Champions Trophy in England in 2017. They started off badly, but after winning one match everything clicked for them and their confidence level and efficiency went up. So I feel they have to do well in the first three matches, otherwise it’s going to be very difficult for them to reach the semis. I think Pakistan came second to England by a small margin and because of their own mistakes. They missed simplest of chances while fielding, which I think is not acceptable even at Under-13 level. Pakistan’s bowling has always been good, but it’s the batsmen who have done well recently. If we can improve our bowling and fielding, then I think Pakistan has a good chance of making it to the semis. There has been much debate over the single league format at the World Cup, with only ten teams playing tournament. What do you make of it? I personally like this format, because it allows a good team to make it to the last four. Otherwise if there is a first round and then you have to come to the Super Eight, it’s always difficult if a team loses couple of matches and suddenly the top team is out of the tournament. And you don’t want that. I think it’s the best possible format and I always liked it. In the single league system, a team plays against all the other teams, and only four best qualify for the semis. It minimises the chance of a fluke, and only the best and most consistent team can win the tournament. India’s Virat Kohli has been the stand out batsman in the last few years. What do you attribute his success to? You can see how passionate Kohli is about the game, and that is why he works so hard on his game, skills and his fitness. When he is on the ground, he is competitive because he is passionate, the hunger is there and he wants to win every time. That passion gives him everything; that is why he is disciplined and more hard-working. He wants to be there till the last ball is bowled and wants to score big in every game. After scoring so many runs and centuries, he still has the hunger and passion for the game and wants to do better than last time. That’s the difference between him and others. Do you think Kohli is a product of fierce competition in Indian cricket? It varies from individual to individual. Some individuals are naturally different from others and their upbringing also plays a role in it. I think that fighting spirit is helping him. He always sets higher standards for himself in every series. Another component for Kohli playing well is because his basics are very strong, which is very important. If you look at his game, he just trusts his technique and plays normal cricketing shots even while playing T20. His consistency is far better than other batsmen. Other example of that is Pakistan’s Babar Azam. In all three formats the way he is performing, Babar is like Kohli technically, very sound and always wants to score runs.

Al Duhail staged a remarkable fightback to record a stunning 4-1 win over Al Sadd to defend their Amir Cup title last night. The star of the show was Edmilson, the Duhail winger lighting up the newly-built Al Janoub Stadium with two superb goals and setting up another, to announce his arrival on the big stage. After a 15-minute short, but dazzling opening ceremony, which depicted Al Wakrah’s heritage, the 2022 World Cup venue was renamed as Al Janoub by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The 38,678 crowd that packed the stadium then witnessed one of the feisty encounters in the history of Amir Cup. Al Sadd, gunning for a domestic double after winning the QNB Stars League last month, lost the plot completely after having taken the lead in just the sixth minute. By the end of the 90 minutes, three Al Sadd players - Tarik Salman, Hamad Ismail and Baghdad Bounedjah - were sent off on a forgettable night for Jesualdo Ferreira’s men. Duhail had to deal with their own disciplinary issues after some sloppy defending saw them trailing by a goal, before Qatar’s Asian Cup hero Almoez Ali was given the marching orders after two clumsy fouls led to red card in the 26th minute. Losing Almoez so early in the match could have easily led Duhail to defensive tactics, but Rui Faria’s men seemed rejuvenated without their key player. It was Al Sadd, the pre-match favourites, who started the match on front foot, pushing the Duhail defence deep. And the opening goal didn’t take long to come. Spanish legend midfield Xavi Hernandez, playing his last game of his glittering career, found Hassan al-Haydous on the right wing who then crossed the ball to Gabi. The Spaniard then just tapped the ball into Akram Afif, who had all the time in the world to shoot the ball into the net. Duhail did not take long time to respond. Edmilson proved a handful for the Al Sadd defenders, with the Belgian-born Brazilian shooting wide from a promising position. However, Duhail found the equaliser in the 16th minute through Ali Afif, the elder brother of Sadd forward, Akram. Ali slipped the ball past the Duhail players before it hit Bounedjah and landed in front of Almoez, who passed into Ali as the latter finished expertly to finish a move he had started. Duhail had the momentum then but Almoez’s red card put Al Sadd in the driving seat. But they couldn’t capitalise on the half-chances with their top-scorer Bounedjah off-colour on the night. Miguel Pedro came closest before half time but the Al Sadd defender’s shot flew past Amin Lecomte as teams went into break locked at 1-1. At resumption, Faria brought in his main weapon Youssef El Arabi for Assim Madibo after the Moroccan striker started from the bench with a hamstring niggle. And El Arabi played a crucial role along with Edmilson to lead Duhail to the title. The match’s turning point came in the 55th minute when El Arabi played a through ball to Edmilson, who was goal bound before being brought down by Tarik Salman at the edge of the box. Referee Abdulrahman al-Jassim showed a straight red to Salman, as Duhail players went in for the kill. Three minutes later, Duhail took lead the after Edmilson received a pass from Ali Afif and beat goalkeeper Saad al-Dosari. In the 62nd minute, El Arabi increased the lead with a neat finish before Edmilson piled on the misery for Al Sadd with another clinical goal. Al Sadd went all out for a comeback but were thwarted by Duhail’s solid defence. In the end frustration got the better of Sadd players. While substitute Hamid Ismail received two yellow cards in a short span, Bounedjah was shown a straight card after pushing Ahmed Yasser. While Ismail and Bounedjah went for the exit, Al Duhail players celebrated a famous triumph in the first match ever held at the Al Janoub Stadium. It was their first trophy under Faria, who took over in January from Nabil Maaloul. They also banished their disappointment of finishing second behind Al Sadd in the league and had also lost to Al Rayyan on penalties in the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup last August. The star of the day, Edmilson, was thrilled with the victory. “It was great to score against Al Sadd in the final. It was an amazing experience playing in a new stadium. I thank all my colleagues and coach for the victory,” the 24-year-old said. Ali Afif, who also had a terrific game, said: “We put out our best performance of the event in the final. The match was great. They also played well but we stuck to our guns and dominated the match. We were united on the pitch. We hope we can play even better when the next season starts. I applaud our team management for taking care of all the needs of the players.”

There is no bigger occasion than the Amir Cup football final in Qatar’s sporting calendar. But what makes the marquee clash of the tournament’s 47th edition somewhat unique is the involvement of various sub plots, each seemingly bigger than the other, depending on one’s point of view. The final will see one of the best midfielders to have graced the football field, former Barcelona and Spain great Xavi Hernandez, bid adieu to the game as the Al Sadd captain looks for one final hurrah as a player in Qatar. Al Sadd manager Jesualdo Ferreira, too, has announced he will leave Wolves after three years in charge, while Rui Faria is gunning for his first trophy as Al Duhail coach. For most in Qatar, though, the unveiling of the Al Wakrah stadium, the second venue to be completed for the 2022 World Cup and first to be built from scratch, will come first in their scheme of things. The final will kick off at 10:30pm but before that a 40,000 capacity crowd will witness an opening ceremony befitting the occasion, which is scheduled for 9:15pm.  The match itself should be electrifying. Al Sadd ended Al Duhail’s two-year dominance when they won the QNB Stars League title this season. It was Sadd’s first under Ferreira’s charge as they have played like a well-oiled machine in the season, making them favourites for the Amir Cup title. Having said that, defending champions Duhail will be seeking to end the season with a trophy of their own.While they finished seven points behind Al Sadd in the league, they also lost to Al Rayyan on penalties in the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup last August. The two times Al Sadd and Al Duhail have come face-to-face in the league this season, Ferreira’s men won the first leg 3-1 while in the second Duhail were heartbroken when an own goal by substitute Murad Naji at the stroke of final whistle helped Sadd draw the encounter 2-2. While the two are head and shoulders above rest of the teams in Qatar, there is not much to separate between them when they take on each other, which makes today’s contest an intriguing one. Ferreira said there are no clear favourites in today’s final. “Al Duhail are the defending champions and it is going to be a tough and intense game between the two sides,” the 72-year-old said. “The players are the most important part of the game. They are the ones who will be champions. They need to work as hard as possible to win the title. There is no clear favourite in this game, which is a knockout game with just 90 minutes, and not a number of matches. It will be a different game and an exciting final,” he added. The Portuguese coach hoped his players would give him and Xavi a triumphant farewell. “I’m very happy that we are taking part in the final. I hope we would do the same what we did before last year (Sadd beat Al Rayyan to win the title in 2017). We are here to win the title. “We know the importance of this trophy in this country and we know how much importance the media, the citizens and residents give to this tournament. This final will be an illustrious place in the careers of the coaching staff, the officials and medical staff as well. It will be an honour for us if we win the trophy,” he said. For Faria, who replaced Nabil Maaloul in January, this will be the biggest match of his career. The 43-year-old spent much of his career as assistant to Jose Mourinho, proving a valuable member to his fellow Portuguese’s coaching staff at Europe’s biggest clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. But having decided to go solo last year, it will be a test of Faria’s credentials in a high-pressure match. Despite a slow start, Faria has been able to rally his team. While they could only finish second in the league, Duhail have entered the AFC Champions League knockout stage and cruised past Al Sailiya in the Amir Cup semi-finals. “We know the importance of the match. Al Sadd are an organised team with an experienced coach. But we are ready. We have paid a lot of attention to the details and we have trained well for the match and we hope it will end in a good way,” Faria said yesterday. “It will be an opportunity for me to win my first title which hopefully would be the first of many. It will mean a lot to win at a World Cup stadium. We have improved a lot recently and the team is getting stronger. We have faced strong teams and are ready to take on Sadd, who are a very good team,” he said.

Sixteen-year-old Li Qi announced herself onto the world stage after the highly-rated Chinese won the Balance Beam gold at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup yesterday. Li Qi lit the Aspire Dome on the final day of the competition with a top class routine to beat Belgium star Nina Derwael for her maiden victory at the World Cup. The teenager made some wonderful connections, blending the really hard acrobatics with some beautiful jumps to finish with 14.333 points. Derwael, who was going for her second gold after winning the Uneven Bars on Friday, finished behind Li Qi. The Belgian, who will celebrate her 19th birthday on Tuesday, finished with a 13.633 on the Beam. Marine Boyer had to settle for bronze after the Frenchwoman had a few hobbles to earn 13.333 points. Boyer took over the top spot in the Olympic qualification rankings with 59 points, while Li Qi moved to third and Derwael to fifth. Li Qi, who flashed a victory sign as she walked to receive her medal, said she was anxious before the start of the final. “I was very nervous before the final, competing against the best gymnasts,” Li Qi said. “It’s my first gold medal in World Cup and I am very happy to achieve that. We have a tough competition in China and this win will give me a lot of confidence,” she added. Derwael, despite missing her second gold, was satisfied with her overall performance in Doha. “Li Qi was better and I am not surprised with her victory. Overall, I am happy. Coming to Doha always gives me a high as I have achieved a lot here. My next targets this year will be the European and the World Championships,” said the Belgian. Jade Carey, meanwhile, completed a brace of gold medals in two weeks. The American arrived in Doha having won both Floor Exercise and Vault gold at the Baku World Cup. The 18-year-old up followed up Friday’s gold medal in Vault, with a second gold medal on the Floor, scoring a 14.466. After qualifying for the final in first place, Carey nailed her tumbling passes, and was equally good in her dance sequences. She beat Italy’s Lara Mori by more than one point, with Mori scoring 13.433 to take silver. Italy’s Vanessa Ferrari was third with a score of 13.300. Carey now sits atop the World Cup rankings in both Vault and Floor Exercise as well. The top-ranking gymnasts on each apparatus at the conclusion of the world cup series will earn a spot at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Doha marks the halfway point of the eight-competition series, which also concludes in the Qatari capital in March 2020. “(It) feels pretty good. I think this week went pretty well,” said a modest Carey. “There definitely was some pressure (in the Floor final) since we all competed together last week so I knew it was going to be a good competition here in Doha as well. I was just focused on not getting nervous,” added the gymnast from Phoenix. In the men’s Horizontal Bar, the three-time and reigning world champion Epke Zonderland finished a disappointing seventh, with 2017 World gold medallist Tin Srbic of Croatia taking the top honours. With all eyes on him, Zonderland fumbled in his first series of flight elements and came off the bar too early. The Dutch was aiming for his third World Cup gold in the series, after having won earlier in Cottbus, Germany and Baku, Azerbaijan. “My first release was itself a mistake because I was too close to the bar and then the second was that you have to throw yourself over the bar and again I was too close thereby I couldn’t hold on to the bar properly and I fell down. I made a technical mistake and it’s highly disappointing,” a dejected Zonderland said later. Srbic, who was first in the qualifications, edged Japan’s Hidetaka Miyachi for gold by 0.100. The 22-year-old made a full twisting double layout dismount to notch 14.400 points. Miyachi with 14.300 finished second ahead of Cuba’s Randy Leru (14.000). “I am really excited and happy because it’s always hard to go last in the finals. I always like to be in Doha, I won here last year and was second the year before. I love competing here and really wanted to win again. I am glad I could do that,” said Srbic. “I did a harder routine than the one I did in the qualifications. But I can do even harder, so I have to train a bit more and compete to get better. There is still a room to improve,” he added. Meanwhile, Jingyuan Zou clinched victory in Parallel Bars, making China the most successful nation at the Doha event with three gold medals. Russia’s Vladislav Poliashov (15.066) and Australia’s Mitchell Morgans (14.566) took silver and bronze medals respectively.  In the Vault final, South Korea’s Hakseon Yang emerged as the winner with a score of 15.266 followed by Ukraine’s Igor Radivilov (14.916) and Armenia’s Artur Davityan (14.695). The four-day event, which the Qatar Gymnastics Federation hosted for the 12th consecutive year, witnessed a total of 128 male and 60 female gymnasts from 57 countries in action. FINALS RESULTS Men’s Horizontal Bar 1. Tin Srbic (CRO) 14.400 2. Hidetaka Miyachi (JPN) 14.300 3. Randy Leru (CUB) 14.000 Men’s Vault 1. Hakseon Yang (KOR)  15.266 2. Igor Radivilov (UKR)  14.916 3. Artur Davityan (ARM)  14.695 Men’s Parallel Bars 1. Jingyuan Zou (CHN)  15.700 2 .Vladislav Poliashov (RUS) 15.066         3. Mitchell Morgans (AUS)  14.566            Women’s Balance Beam 1. Li Qi (CHN)  14.333 2. Nina Derwael (BEL)  13.633 3. Marine Boyer (FRA)  13.333 Women’s Floor Exercise 1. Jade Carey (USA)  14.466 2. Lara Mori (ITA)  13.433 3. Vanessa Ferrari (ITA)  13.000

Nina Derwael, competing in her first event since becoming a world champion in Doha last October, made a winning return as the Belgian won gold at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup. Yesterday at the Aspire Dome, the venue of her world title, Derwael was in sublime form as she cruised to an easy win. The two-time European champion stuck to her routine which has given her success in the last two years.  Derwael, who will turn 19 on Tuesday, began with a full twisting double tuck and finished with a twist high above the bar for 15.033 points, the same score she achieved in the qualifying on Wednesday. The 2017 world champion Fan Yilin (14.933) took silver ahead of Russian Anastasiia Iliankova (14.700).  Derwael was pleased with her gold medal finish and admitted she did not have an ideal preparation as she was recovering from a broken finger. “I did not have an ideal preparation for the competition but I am very happy that I pulled it off. I had some little injuries that prevented me from doing other competitions. But now I am really happy to be back on the podium. I wasn’t really anxious; I was comfortable out there and I knew I could do it. I just did what I usually do in training,” she said. “I am really happy to be back here, I have won gold thrice now in Doha. I am going to prepare for the European championship now. I am very excited about Tokyo Olympics. The Belgium team still needs to qualify as a team so we are going to try and do that at the World Championship in Stuttgart this year,” added Derwael, who will be in action in the Balance Beam finals today.  Meanwhile, Jade Carey continued her rich vein of form as the American won the Vault gold. Carey, who had clinched both Vault and Floor gold at the Baku World Cup last week, put on a strong show once again. The 18-year-old controlled her landing perfectly to top score with 14.833 points, ahead of Russian Maria Paseka (14.766) and Frenchwoman Coline Devillard (14.549). Yesterday’s win boosted Carey’s World Cup series ranking points to 85, putting her first in the Vault race for Olympics qualifications. The 43-year-old Oksana Chusovitina finished fifth with 13.866 points. The Uzbek, who has competed in seven Olympic Games, is gunning for her eighth appearance as she looks to book her place at the 2020 Tokyo Games. World bronze medallist Lee Chih-Kai overcame nerves to flair his way to win the Pommel Horse. The Chinese Taipei gymnast beat 2013 world champion Kohei Kameyama of Japan to gold, after both had finished on same score of 15.400.  Chih-Kai was given the gold thanks to his superior difficulty scores. Kameyama’s compatriot Imabayashi took bronze after tallying 5.333. China’s Zou Jingyuan missed out on a medal after he missed his hand placement and came off early on. He also tumbled for a second time to finish seventh 12.866. In the men’s Floor Exercise, veteran Israeli gymnast Alexander Shatilov sprung a surprise by winning the gold medal. In a strong field which consisted of world championship bronze medallist Carlos Yulo and all-round silver medallist Xiao Ruoteng, Shatilov made it a memorable 32nd birthday with a superb show as he tallied 14.633 points. Rayderley Zapata of Spain was also a surprise runner-up with 14.433, finishing ahead of Filipino teenager Yulo, who had topped the qualifications but had to settle bronze medal after scoring 14.266 points. Ruoteng finished a disappointing sixth with a 13.166. RESULTS Men’s Pommel Horse  1. Lee Chih-Kai (TPE) 15.400 2. Kohei Kameyama (JPN) 15.400 3. Kaito Imabayashi (JPN) 15.333 Men’s Floor Exercise 1. Alexander Shatilov (ISR) 14.633 2. Rayderley Zapata (ESP) 14.433 3. Carlos Edriel Yulo (PHI) 14.266  Men’s Still Rings Final 1. Lan Xingyu (CHN) 15.100 2. Artur Tovmasyan (ARM) 14.833 3. Vahagn Davtyan (ARM) 14.825 Women’s Uneven Bars  1. Nina Derwael (BEL) 15.033 2. Fan Yilin (CHN) 14.933 3. Anastasiia Iliankova (RUS) 14.700 Women’s Vault  1. Jade Carey (USA) 14.883 2. Maria Paseka (RUS) 14.766 3. Coline Devillard (FRA) 14.549

Tin Srbic topped the Horizontal Bar qualifications at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup at the Aspire Dome yesterday, but the Croat knew it wouldn’t be easier for him in the final. For the difference between the 2017 world champion Srbic and Italian Carlo Macchini, who qualified eighth and last for tomorrow’s final, was a mere 0.333 points. Such was the quality of competition on display on Horizontal Bar, that any of the top eight could have topped the qualifying. “It is fascinating that from 1st to 8th place the difference of score was just 0.333. So the final will be even more difficult,” said a beaming Srbic, after tallying a score of 14.333. The 22-year-old, however, was confident he will be standing on top of the podium after the final. “I will be going all out in the final and will start with a difficulty score of 6.2. I’ve been training a lot and I am really happy I could put that to use in qualifications and come on top,” he added. Kazakhstan’s Miada Karim (14.300) was second followed by Russia’s Alexey Rostova (14.133). Surprisingly, the reigning world champion Epke Zonderland was fourth after his routine fetched him 14.100. But the Dutchman will no doubt look to make amends in the final. Zonderland, who won his third world title at the Doha World Championship in October, is in touching distance of qualifying for the Olympics. The 2012 London Olympic gold medallist will just need a podium finish to seal his place at the 2020 Tokyo Games. A gymnast, if he or she wins three of the eight World Cup series, qualifies for the Olympics. And Zonderland has already won two events in Cottbus, at the end of last year and last week in Baku, and if he reigns supreme again in Doha, he would have already punched his ticket to Tokyo. The ‘flying Dutchman’ was happy to be competing again in Doha. “It is good to be back in Doha,” Zonderland said. “I have a lot of good memories of competing in this arena not only from the World Championships, but also in World Cup events as well. The event’s organisation very well here and as an athlete you know you can perform well, when the organisation is perfect. I always look forward to coming here,” the 32-year-old said. Zonderland, however, failed to make the final on Parallel Bars, with Zou Jingyuan topping the qualifications. The Chinese gymnast appeared very strong on the Bars as he scored 15.866 with a routine which had a difficulty score of 6.6. Vietnam’s Phuong Thanh Dinh (14.733) was second followed by Turkey’s Ferhat Arican (14.633). The race for first place on Vault is going to be intense with Ukrainian Igor Radilov (14.916) edging past Korean Hakseon Yang (14.900) to the second spot in the qualifiers. Meanwhile, Nina Derwael made it to her second final of the World Cup, as the Belgian topped the Balance Beam qualifications. Today, the 18-year-old will compete in the final of the Uneven Bars, in which she had won the world title in Doha last year. Derwael scored 13.566 on Beam ahead of France’s Marine Boyer (13.366) and China’s (13.300) American Jade Carey also made it to her second final yesterday. After sealing a place Vault final on Day One, Carey was unbeatable on the Floor too as she tallied a score of 14.000. Carey is in good form having won gold medals in both Vault and Floor at the Baku World Cup last week. Today, the first medals will be awarded with finals scheduled for men’s Floor, Pommel Horse and Still Rings, while women will compete on Vault and Uneven Bars. Meanwhile, African Gymnastics Federation president Ali Zaatar was all praise for the excellent organisation by the hosts, Qatar Gymnastics Federation, and the participation of athletes from the African region. Qatar has been hosting the event for the last 12 years and Zaatar said there is no point talking about the standards of the meet in Doha for it is obviously world class. He was also happy that the championship provides a great chance for Arab and African gymnasts to participate and gain experience. “Even if the difference in class of performance is stark between the world stars and those aiming to match them, the common platform provides a chance to excel and learn and compete,” said Zaatar, while speaking to the media on the second day of the four-day World Cup. “There are African countries that are interested in gymnastics such as Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa and Nigeria, but ultimately the African Federation is trying to develop gymnastics despite the hardships,” he added. Results Men’s Qualifications Vault: 1. Igor Radivilov (UKR) 14.916 pts; 2. Hakseon Yang (KOR) 14.900; 3. Artur Davtyan (ARM)  14.849;  4. Jorge Vega Lopez (GUA) 14.762; 5. Christopher Remkes (AUS) 14.699; 6. Marian Dragulescu (ROU) 14.616; 7. Wei-Sheng Tseng (TPE) 14.599; 8. Giarnni Regini-Moran (GBR) 14.599. Parallel Bars: 1. Jingyuan Zou (CHN) D-Score 6.6; Total Points: 15.866; 2. Phuong Thanh Dinh (VIE) 6.2; 14.733; 3. Ferhat Arican (TUR) 6.3; 14.633; 4. Andrey Likhovitskiy (BLR) 5.5; 14.600; 5. Vladislav Poliashov (RUS) 6.3; 14.500; 6. Mitchell Morgans (AUS) 6.0; 14.333; 7. Vasili Mikhalitsyn (BLR) 5.4; 14.233; 8. Matteo Levantesi (ITA) 5.9; 14.233. Horizontal Bar: 1. Tin Srbic (CRO) D-Score: 5.9; Total Points: 14.333; 2. Milad Karimi (KAZ) 6.2; 14.300; 3. Alexey Rostov (RUS) 6.0; 14.133; 4. Epke Zonderland (NED) 6.1; 14.100; 5. Shudi Deng (CHN) 6.3; 14.100; 6. Hidetaka Miyahi (JPN) 5.9; 14.066; 7.  Randy Leru (CUB) 6.2; 14.033; 8. Carlo Macchini (ITA) 5.7; 14.000. Women’s Qualifications Balance Beam: 1. Nina Derwael (BEL) D-Score: 5.3; Total Points: 13.566; 2. Marine Boyer (FRA) 5.7; 13.366; 3. Qi Li (CHN) 5.7; 13.300; 4. Yumika Nakamura (JPN) 5.0; 12.900; 5. Hua-Tien Ting (TPE)     5.3; 12.800; 6. Adela Sajn (SLO) 4.9; 12.766; 7. Soyoka Hanawa (JPN) 5.9; 12.700; 8. Aneta Holasova (CZE) 5.1; 12.666. Floor: 1. Jade Carey (USA) D-Score: 5.9; Total Points:14.000; 2. Marine Boyer (FRA) 5.0;  13.200; 3. Kim Bui (GER) 5.2; 13.200; 4. Lara Mori (ITA) 5.3; 13.166; 5. Varvara Zubova (RUS) 5.1; 13.066; 6. Marta Pihan-Kulesza (POL) 5.2; 13.033; 7. Vanessa Ferrari (ITA) 5.3; 13.033; 8. Coline Devillard (FRA) 4.8; 12.833.

Returning to the Aspire Dome, where she became the Uneven Bars world champion last October, Nina Derwael was a bundle of nerves as she began her routine at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup yesterday.  After her historic feat at the Doha World Championships, the Belgian gymnast went on a four-month break as she basked in all the adulation she richly deserved in her home country.  What followed was countless media and promotional appearances for Derwael, which also meant she spent less time on the Uneven Bars.  Even as many of her compatriots started preparing for the 2020 Olympics by taking part in the World Cup series, which is serving as the qualification route for the Tokyo Games, Derwael was still coming to terms with being the world champion. The start to her 2019 season was pushed back even further as she suffered a broken finger.  So naturally, participating in her first competitive event of the year would have made her nervous and rusty. But Derwael allayed any such fears as the 18-year-old put in an exemplary routine to qualify for tomorrow’s final at the Doha leg of the World Cup at Aspire yesterday. The lanky Belgian, in fact, topped the qualifications by scoring 15.033. Starting her routine with a 6.5 difficulty score, Derwael went for a full twisting double tuck and then finished with a twist high above the bar.  Her French coach Marjorie Heuls believes Derwael is yet to hit the top form and that doesn’t augur well for her rivals. Ahead of the World Cup, Derwael had said she was relieved to compete again. “It took a while before I could understand what I had accomplished. In fact, even now I still find it strange that I am a world champion. At the training I was not my hundred percent. Then I became a little frustrated with myself,” Derwael said. “A few things could be better, but luckily I never lost the pleasure in my training. I still know what I’m training so hard for. And I am happy that I can finally take part in a competition again,” she added. China’s Yilin Fan was second with a score of 14.900, just a little over a tenth back off Derwael. Anastasia Iliankova qualified third with the Russian tallying 14.633. Meanwhile, Filipino teenager Carlos Yulo also displayed a dominating performance at the Aspire, where he had won his country’s first world championship medal – a bronze in the Floor exercise.  The 19-year-old has already won a bronze and gold in the first two events of the World Cup series, in Cottbus, Germnay and Melbourne. Yesterday, Yulo topped the Men’s Floor Exercise with a total score of 14.600 to finish ahead of Chinese star Xiao Ruoteng (14.533 points). Belgium’s Vrolix Jonathan was third with 14.500 points. Qatar’s Ahmed Mosa, who also featured in the event, claimed a respectable tally of 11.133.  Qatari youngster Raslen Saoud, 17, also made an impressive World Cup debut after earning 11.666 points in Pommel Horse, finishing ahead of his senior teammate Ahmed al-Dayani, who secured 11.600 points. The duo failed to qualify for the final but both were satisfied with their performances.  “I have gained a lot of valuable experience and I am happy with my performance. This event will give me a great deal of confidence in the future as I am looking forward to continue performing for Qatar,” Saoud said.  The qualification rounds will continue today with men vying for finals of Vault, Parallel bars and Horizontal Bars. The female gymnasts will compete in qualification of Balance Beam and Floor finals.       Results Men’s Floor Exercise 1. Carlos Edriel Yulo (PHI) D-Score 6.2; Points: 14.600; 2. Ruoteng Xiao (CHN); 6.2; 14.533; 3. Jonathan Vrolix (BEL) 5.9; 14.500; 5. Ahmet Onder (TUR); 5.9; 14.233; 6. Rayderley Zapata (ESP) 6.1; 14.200; 7. Christopher Remkes (AUS); 6.3; 14.133; 8. Emil Soravuo (FIN) 5.5; 14.100; 9. Marian Dragulescu (ROU); 6.2; 14.066; 10. Jorge Vega Lopez (GUA) 5.9; 14.033. Men’s Pommel Horse 1. Chih Kai Lee (TPE) 6.2; 15.166; 2. Harutyun Merdinyan (ARM) 6.3; 14.966; 3. Kohei Kameyama (JPN) 6.2; 14.916; 4. Kaito Imabayashi (JPN) 6.3; 14.900; 5.   Saeedreza Keikha (IRI) 6.1; 14.683; 6. Jingyuan Zou (CHN) 6.0; 14.558; 7. Filip Ude (CRO) 5.9; 14.533; 8. Stephen Nedoroscik (USA) 6.1; 14.483; 9. Robert Seligman (CRO) 5.8; 14.466; 10. Cyril Tommasone (FRA) 6.2; 14.466. Men’s Still Rings 1. Xingyu Lan (CHN) 6.4; 15.166; 2. Vahagn Davtyan (ARM) 6.1; 14.908; 3. Artur Tovmasyan (ARM) 6.1; 14.866; 4. Marco Lodadio (ITA) 6.3; 14.800; 5. Courtney Tulloch (GBR) 6.4; 14.800; 6. Samir Ait Said (FRA) 6.1; 14.733; 7. Ali Zahran (EGY) 6.2; 14.600; 8. Ibrahim Colak (TUR) 6.2; 14.533; 9. Trevor Howard (USA) 6.1; 14.516; 10. Igor Radivilov (UKR) 6.0; 14.366. Women’s Vault 1. Maria Paeka (RUS) 14.850; 2. Jade Carey (USA) 14.833; 3. Coline Devillard (FRA) 14.633; 4. Alexa Moreno (MEX) 14.449; 5. Marcia Vidiaux (CUB) 14.449; 6. Marina Nekrasova (AZE) 14.216; 7. Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) 14.183; 8. Emily Thomas (GBR) 13.800; 9. Gabriela Janik (POL) 13.733; 10. PaulaMejias (PUR) 13.700. Women’s Uneven Bars 1. Nina Derwael (BEL) 6.5; 15.033; 2. Yilin Fan (CHN) 6.3; 14.900; 3. Anastasiia Iliankova (RUS) 6.3; 14.633; 4. Diana Varinska (UKR)  5.7; 13.966; 5. Kim Bui (GER) 6.0; 13.900; 6.  Jonna Adlerteg (SWE) 6.0; 13.366; 7. Martina Rizzelli (ITA) 5.4; 13.233; 8. Yumika Nakamura (JPN) 5.1; 13.100; 9. Lisa Katharina Hill (GER) 5.4; 12.833; 10. Emily Thomas (GBR) 4.9; 12.700.

With Olympic berths available at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup, the Doha leg of the series will see some high stakes competition. The four-day event, hosted by the Qatar Gymnastics Federation (QGF) for the 12th consecutive year, will begin today at the Aspire Dome, with first two days reserved for qualifications before two days of finals conclude the action. With 2020 Tokyo Games a little more than a year away, gymnasts are in a race to book their spots through the World Cup series, which will run until March 2020. Points will be awarded according to placement on each individual apparatus and Olympic berths will be distributed based on these totals. Qatar hosted a hugely successful World Championship last October and some of the leading names from that meet will be back to show their pyrotechnics at the World Cup.  A total of 128 male and 60 female gymnasts from 57 countries will be in action with World horizontal bar champion Epke Zonderland of the Netherlands one of the biggest draws.  Unlike other gymnasts, Zonderland will be under less pressure in Doha, with the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist in touching distance of qualifying for the Olympics. A gymnast, if he or she wins three of the eight World Cup series, qualifies for the Olympics. And Zonderland has already won two events in Cottbus, the end of last year and last week at Baku and if he reigns supreme again in Doha this week, he would have already punched his ticket to Tokyo. “After my victory in Cottbus - at the end of last year - and now Baku, my Olympic qualification goal is almost achieved. I also finished second in Melbourne last month. You receive 30 points per win. Out of the maximum number of 90 points, I now have 85 in my pocket. After Baku, the pressure is off me now and that’s nice. I have taken a giant step towards the Tokyo Games,” he said. The Dutch however is not taking his success for granted. “Of course there is always the possibility that someone else gets the same number of points. In that case, the highest score achieved in an apparatus counts so that means that I will go for a high score during the World Cup in Doha. This time I will not compete against my competitors, but for myself. It gives me a good feeling that I can now go for my best exercise,” added Zonderland, who completed his medical training to become a doctor earlier this year.  Other prominent names who have confirmed their participation in Doha includes world champions Xiao Ruoteng and Zou Jingyuan of China. Ruoteng had beaten Great Britain’s defending champion Max Whitlock in the tie-breaker to win the men’s pommel horse gold at the World Championships.  Jingyuan, winner of the men’s parallel bars at the 2017 Worlds and the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, is hoping to warm up for the Tokyo Olympics by winning World Cup events along the way.  Romania’s 38-year-old Marian Dragulescu will also be back to compete with a younger generation of athletes. Ferhat Arican, who became the first Turkish male gymnast after 108 years to compete at an Olympics at Rio 2016, will also hope to pick up a medal on parallel bar. Among the women, seven-time Olympian Oksana Chusovitina will return to Doha in pursuit of her eighth appearance at the Games. The 43-year-old Uzbek took silver in Baku to lead the overall rankings after three events.  “I want to qualify for the Olympics and I will try all possible options. Since I don’t have a team, it’s a little bit easier for me to qualify compared to gymnasts from other countries. I can qualify both through the World Championships and the World Cups,” said Chusovitina. If Chusovitina gets to compete in Tokyo, she will become the only athlete in the world to have participated in eight Olympic Games since 1992. Jade Carey will be the in-form gymnast on floor exercise and vault. The American won both the events in Baku and she will look to cap off another good week at Aspire Dome. Known for her incredible skill on the uneven bars, Belgian gymnast Nina Derwael will be showcasing her talent which clinched her gold at the World Championship. Meanwhile, hosts Qatar will field three men’s gymnasts – Ahmed al-Dayani, Ahmed Mosa and Raslan Saoud – in the event. Al-Dayani and Mosa have experience of competing at the World Cup events while Saoud will make his senior debut at his home turf. “We are hoping for a good performance from our athletes as they have trained well for this important competition,” said QGF president Ali al-Hitmi. “Raslan Saoud is a talented gymnast from Aspire and we are happy to see him featuring in his first senior competition. We are thankful to Aspire, which is making huge contribution in promotion of gymnastics in the country,” he added.