'I need a vacation', says Barshim after another high jump gold

HANGZHOU, China: Qatari high jumper Mutaz Barshim sailed to his third Asian Games title on Wednesday (Oct 4), adding another medal to an impressive collection for the reigning Olympic champion.

Based on form and previous performances it looked like South Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok, 27, would be 32-year-old Barshim's biggest challenger for gold.

In the end that's what transpired in an almost carbon copy of the duel they had in the world championships in Eugene in 2022, which Barshim also won.

Barshim took the title with a jump of 2.35m, with Woo clearing 2.33m. Japan's Tomohiro Shinno, 27, got the bronze with a season's best leap of 2.29m.

From the start Barshim and Woo looked a class above.

Several times other athletes either struggled to clear or just made a height before Barshim sauntered in with his familiar rangy stride and cleared the bar by a big margin, triggering audible gasps from the spectators.

Woo, who has a much more direct and speedier run-up than Barshim, also looked confident early on.

Once Shinno failed on his third attempt at 2.31m it was left to Woo and three time world champion Barshim to fight it out.

The volume from the stadium announcers and the crowd was considerable, but Barshim, sporting his customary sunglasses under the floodlights, was the picture of calm.

Both he and Woo cleared 2.31m and 2.33m. But then Woo failed at 2.35m, a height Barshim cleared at his first attempt. Woo pushed the bar up to 2.37m and called on his fans and others in the crowd to get behind him, but the bar fell both times, handing victory to the Qatari.

Barshim then attempted 2.37m which would have beaten his season's best of 2.36m. On his last jump, the bar looked like it might hold for a moment and spectators roared.

But immediately