21 May 2026
Aspire Academy graduate Mutaz Barshim won his second gold medal in a week as he won the 1st Asian Jumps Championships in Chongqing, China.
The win for the three-time World Champion came just five days after he clinched a gold medal at the 4th GCC Games in Doha.
He cleared 2.23 metres to finish ahead of China’s Zhen Wang, as he continued his return to form after he missed the majority of 2025, when he jumped just once competitively.
Another Aspire Academy graduate, Seif Hemeida, also competed at the event but was unlucky as he failed to clear his opening height.
Hemeida, who won gold at the GCC Games a few days earlier, admitted that he was very disappointed not to do better and insisted that he learns from every experience and is determined to come back stronger.”
The two athletes will continue their seasons as both aim to compete for Qatar at September’s 2026 Asian Games in Japan, with Barshim looking to defend his title from 2022 and Hemeida to improve on his 6th place at the same games.