(ATR) The 2018 IAAF Diamond League gets underway this Friday for the ninth straight year in the Qatari capital, Doha.
Seventeen reigning world and Olympic champions in athletics will gather at the Qatar Sports Club stadium before an expected full-capacity crowd of 15,000 spectators.
For the local fans, no appearance will be as eagerly anticipated as that of Mutaz Essa Barshim, who will compete before the home crowd as the reigning high jumpworld champion and also as the 2017 World Athlete of the Year .
The 26-year-old was undefeated in 11 competitions last year.
Ahead of the first stop of the prestigious Diamond League, Barshim told Around the Rings"We did everything right last year, won every competition. So now is about getting more records, more championships. In fact I want every record in every meeting".
Despite his success, the Qatari athlete knows that for some people even in the athletics world, his name has not reached the popularity that some other athletes get.
"A few years ago there wasn’t a lot attention on field events, the focus was on the track races. I am thankful that there is a lot more attention to what I and others do. It started in 2014 when the track athletes would stop before and after their races to look at our performance".
Doha will be the starting point for Barshim, who does not want to disappoint his home fans.
"I know I am the favorite, but you have to make it happen. In any case I am going to make sure that the people that come to see me have a good time with me."
In a year without an Olympics or World Championships, the high jumper has joked about finding an extra motivation for establishing new records.
"I propose that every time I jump over 2.40 meters, I earn the right to take the bar with me as an added prize."
Barshim is aiming at the longstanding world record of 2.45m set by Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor in 1993. Last year the young Qatari became the first athlete in history to clear over 2.40m for five consecutive seasons. His personal best is 2.43m.
However Barshim approaches the Doha meet after an erratic indoor season which resulted in two victories and two second place finishes, the latter in Birmingham in March at the World Indoor Championship.
Other stars present in Doha include Dafne Schippers, the 200 meters double world champion who nevertheless will compete in Doha in the 100 meters.
"Some people say you can make more money with sprints and be more popular, but I never sought that. I simply like this event (100 meters)," said the Dutch athlete.
"I think I am ready for Doha," said Schippers to ATR. "It is always difficult to see where you are because it is the first competition and you have no idea. Doha is really good because it is warm and it is perfect for a sprinter."
Schippers does not hide that in the future, she may add to her racing portfolio a third specialty - the long jump.
"I need the time to become a good sprinter first and then later try the long jump. But it is too much right now to fit it in my schedule."
Another legend present in Qatar is Katrina Stefanidi. The multiple Olympic, world and European champion in the pole vault knows that she is not unbeatable.
"I needed to lose one competition to get my motivation back. " Stefanidi told ATR.
For the gold medalist in Rio de Janeiro, Qatar offers a special motivation.
"I am looking forward to the start of the season. I love Doha because there is a big Greek population. I don’t want to disappoint them."
Finally on the men’s side, one of the most a thrilling races will be in the 200 meters. Reigning world champion, Ramil Guliyev of Turkey, goes up against Olympic silver medalist Andre De Grasse of Canada, 2017 Diamond League champion Noah Lyles of the USA, and world bronze medalist Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago. Also included in that field is Jamaica’s Omar McLeod, who is the Olympic and world champion in the 110m hurdles but will be trying his hand at the 200m in Doha.
The Diamond League is composed of 14 meets and is based on a point-earning system. Those athletes with the most points after the first 12 stops will have the right to compete in the finals both in Brussels and Zurich.
The IAAF has assigned $8 million in prize money.
Written and reported by Javier Monnein Doha.
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