Bengaluru, June 7: Qatar's world high jump champion and Rio Games silver medallist Mutaz Essa Barshim is eyeing the biggest goals of all this season.
Barshim's personal best of 2.43M set at the 2014 International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) Diamond League meeting in Brussels is the second-best jump of all times in world history.
The long-standing world record of 2.45M was set by Cuba's Javier Sotomayor at the IAAF Salamanca Grand Prix meet in Spain in 1992.
The ace Qatari began the 2018 IAAF Diamond League season opener with a bang at home, clinching the yellow metal by clearing a height of 2.40M. That was followed by an effort of 2.36M at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting in Eugene, where he completed a hat-trick of victories.
And as he heads the star-studded field at the Oslo Diamond League to be held on Thursday (June 7), the 2017 IAAF World Athlete of the Year has his priorities right.
"I hope to break the world record this year. I'm on the right approach to this and hopefully it'll go this year," Barshim told media at the pre-event press conference.
"I hope to break the world record this year" @mutazbarshim on going for the biggest goal of all this season. #OsloDL #RoadToTheFinal #DiamondLeague
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) June 6, 2018
📺 Watch live: https://t.co/ENqaQrArtA pic.twitter.com/7sAvNmGDGw
"There aren't too many championships to focus on so my goal coming to every meet is records. I want to go higher this year. I'm coming to do my best," Barshim added.
Barshim's job however is easier said than done at the Norwegian city where he is up against Russia's world indoor champion Danil Lysenko, who cleared 2.37M indoors and will have blown away the cobwebs in his outdoor debut in Eugene.
The 26-year-old expects another tough contest, but it is the one he is ready for and the goal for the Oslo meet is simple and clear.
"I came here to fight," said Barshim, who admitted that both victory and a good height are in his thoughts.
The goal for @mutazbarshim in tomorrow's #OsloDL is simple: "I always speak to my coach before a competition and say, 'coach if you could give me one piece of advice what would it be?' but tomorrow he just said, 'go and jump, jump high,' so hopefully I will do that." pic.twitter.com/6acEE0RPqv
— IAAF (@iaaforg) June 6, 2018
"I'm greedy, I want everything. I always speak to my coach before a competition and say, 'coach if you could give me one piece of advice what would it be?' but he just said, 'go and jump, jump high,' so hopefully i will do that," Barshim concluded.
(With inputs from IAAF/ Diamond League media).