Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barshim caused concern among fans at the Stade de France during high jump qualification when he appeared to suffer an injury. Barshim, attempting to clear 2.27m, abruptly stopped his first jump and fell to the ground, holding his right leg.
His friend and fellow gold medalist from Tokyo, Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, was the first to check on Barshim. The duo made headlines in Japan by sharing the gold and opting out of a jump-off.
Barshim managed to clear the height on his second attempt, but he seemed to still be bothered by the injury, as he immediately grabbed his leg after the jump. The extent of the injury and its impact on his participation in the final are yet to be determined.
On the other hand, Tamberi struggled to clear 2.27m, missing all three attempts. Despite this, he secured a spot in the final by successfully clearing 2.20m and 2.24m without any faults.
