‘Mutaz Essa Barshim is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He clears the bar with such ease, you might think he was dancing in the air, like a bird. It is precisely this synthesis of elegance and performance that drew me to him.’ Richard Mille It was during the Rio 2016 Olympics that Mutaz met Richard Mille, who had been following the competition closely. This was the moment when the RM 67-02 was conceived. ​​‘We talked specifically about something extremely light and flexible, very flat, something that would not distract me from concentrating during my jumps. It has given me so much support during the challenges I faced in reaching the World Championships and other big venues across the globe. I expect it to feel like part of my body, part of my skin, part of me. My discipline requires the ultimate from me physically : I need to be light in weight yet extremely accurate with every step I make, just like every ‘tick’ of my watch. My body is the only ‘tool’ I have in my sport; I don’t use a club or racquet or other external aids. What I do is very ‘pure’, it’s just me up against the challenge. I want my watch to be similar: very pure, very accurate, very perfect, yet as light as possible, and totally reliable, without question. Mutaz Essa Barshim





LUX: Why Richard Mille out of any of the people that you could have partnered with?
MEB: He is simply the best!
LUX: How did you come to partner with Richard Mille?
MEB: The first time I met Richard was in the Rio Olympics after my competition. We talked and he is a really nice, friendly guy. He told me he loved the way I jump and he wanted me to join him in the family. I said, of course I’d be very happy to. We had been talking about the watch and he asked me if I jump with watches. I said no, because they’re too heavy. Richard said that he could make something very light for me. So I said, let’s do it! I know about Nadal’s RM27-03 Tourbillon watch and it is very light. He said he could do it even lighter than that and I was very impressed. Since then, we have been talking back and forth and sharing ideas.
LUX: Were you involved in the design process?
MEB: Initially, the main target was for me to jump with it – something that wouldn’t affect my jump. It wouldn’t be worth it if it was something heavy that disturbed my performance. Since we realised that he could make something lighter, we discussed design. We thought it could be something with maroon and white, to match my kit. I wanted something elegant and sexy – I didn’t want it to be thought of as a sport watch.
LUX: You said that the watch came out of a necessity for being light. Would they bring you designs that you would tweak, or were you given final products?
MEB: Firstly, we would get a prototype drawing. This would be computerised and three-dimensional. He would ask what I thought. I wanted to see a side angle picture, so I could see how thin the watch was. He said it was so thin that I won’t be able to feel it. When I saw the picture, I was really impressed. He would then show me the back and ask my preferences and how I wanted it to be engraved. What shall we write down? We would discuss the colours and how to change them. Of course, none of the mechanics is to do with me. It’s all his work and genius. I think asking him about the mechanics would be disrespectful, because I know he would make it the best. When it came to the final product, I really was impressed!
LUX: There is a symbiosis and as you said, you needed something that didn’t affect you when you jumped. What are the commonalities between your practice and your watch?
MEB: Quality. It is the main objective. High jumpers don’t use any objects, they just have to use their bodies in the perfect way, otherwise you will injure yourself. Timing – a few seconds can make a difference between a perfect jump and a really bad jump. You could lose a medal. That’s what this watch is about – quality and timing. Ticking at the right moments. I want something sexy and elegant, with quality and timing.
LUX: By being in the Richard Mille family – you are amongst some of the best sportsmen and women. How does it feel?
MEB: It feels great. The one thing I really love about Richard and how he selects his athletes and ambassadors, is that everybody is so humble and down-to-earth. He is not only selecting people because of what they achieve in sport. He also looks at their social energy, what they value in society and how they interact with different people. I’ve met most of the guys and everybody is so nice. They are so inspiring and they are role models. I feel that is the type of character he wants. Once you’re in, you’re in – it is a family. You don’t want to bring someone in that will destroy this family. Everybody is highly professional, but at the same time they are very nice people. It is just a pleasure to be among them.

Qatar Airways Announces Partnership with Qatari High Jump Athlete and Olympic Gold Medallist, Mutaz Barshim

Barshim joins the airline’s diverse portfolio of sports sponsorships

Qatar Airways is excited to announce a partnership with Olympic Gold medallist and Qatari high jump star and sports icon, Mutaz Barshim, further diversifying the airline’s renowned sports sponsorships portfolio.
After immediately making an impact at the young age of 19 by setting the Qatari high jump record, Barshim consequently went on to set new standards by recording the second highest jump of all time at 2.43 metres. The award-winning athlete has attained several prestigious accolades over the years, which include the recent gold medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the gold medal at the World Championships in 2017 and 2019, respectively, and the silver medal at 2016 Rio Olympics. His gravity defying performances merited the award for ‘2017 Athlete of the Year’ by the Association of National Olympic Committee and ‘Best Track & Field Athlete of 2017’ by the International Association of Athletics Federation, amongst several others.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Mutaz Barshim holds high recognition amongst the world’s most renowned athletes, having amassed a portfolio of high jump titles. As we celebrate his latest win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, we could not be more proud, and we hope that Barshim continues to soar high and set new records, which will create a ripple effect of inspiring young athletes within Qatar and around the world. We are continually striving to boost our global sports sponsorship portfolio, and this partnership is just one more example of our dedication to sports and our belief in its power to bring people together.”
Qatari High Jump Athlete, Mutaz Barshim, said: “‘I am happy and excited for this partnership with the world’s best airline. I truly appreciate Qatar Airways’ support and approach during these beautiful times and together we promise the best to our nation.”

TBD

Team Oakley Athlete, Mutaz Barshim is the winner of a gold medal from the High Jump tournament. The Qatari athlete made a historic win after agreeing to share the champion title with Italian athlete Gianmarco Tamberi after scoring an impressive 2.63m score.
During the high-jump athletics tournament, Mutaz wore Oakley Kato Prizm 24K, a colourway that was launched specifically with the Olympics in mind. A huge congratulations to Mutaz on his spectacular win and brilliant show of sportsmanship!


The sartorial star of the high jump could have been the pair of Oakley Kato sunglasses that Barshim wore throughout the night competition. These weren’t exactly functional. It was, of course, dark, and shadows flew off his face pretty much every time he walked through the bar. (As the camera cut him off as he readjusted them before each jump, the stripes on the track were reflected in the sci-fi lenses, mirroring the stripes on the Qatari Olympic uniform. Deeply futuristic wrap-around sunglasses have been booming for quite some time now, although in the world of professional sports they’ve never really been released. While the Katos are currently sold out on the Oakley website due to high demand, if you are considering purchasing a pair, now may be the time to get on the waitlist. However, you might be competing with a gold medalist: as a New York Times reported, in the moments after their post-gold embrace, Barshim actually broke the glasses he was wearing. “It’s good,” he said. “I have about 50 pairs.”

Red Bull Athlete, Qatari High Jumper Mutaz Barshim returned to Doha earlier this month following the continuous successes throughout the Summer.
Welcoming and honoring the World Champion, Red Bull gathered esteemed members of the Qatari press at a dinner held at Burj Al Hamam Restaurant at The Pearl, Doha, in the presence of His Excellency the Austrian Ambassador to Qatar Willy Kempell, and members of the Red Bull team.
Red Bull Athlete, Qatari High Jumper Mutaz Barshim returned to Doha earlier this month following the continuous successes throughout the Summer.
Welcoming and honoring the World Champion, Red Bull gathered esteemed members of the Qatari press at a dinner held at Burj Al Hamam Restaurant at The Pearl, Doha, in the presence of His Excellency the Austrian Ambassador to Qatar Willy Kempell, and members of the Red Bull team.




Red Bull Athlete, Qatari High Jumper Mutaz Barshim returned to Doha earlier this month following the continuous successes throughout the Summer.
Welcoming and honoring the World Champion, Red Bull gathered esteemed members of the Qatari press at a dinner held at Burj Al Hamam Restaurant at The Pearl, Doha, in the presence of His Excellency the Austrian Ambassador to Qatar Willy Kempell, and members of the Red Bull team.
Red Bull Athlete, Qatari High Jumper Mutaz Barshim returned to Doha earlier this month following the continuous successes throughout the Summer. Welcoming and honoring the World Champion, Red Bull gathered esteemed members of the Qatari press at a dinner held at Burj Al Hamam Restaurant at The Pearl, Doha, in the presence of His Excellency the Austrian Ambassador to Qatar Willy Kempell, and members of the Red Bull team.

Doha: Ooredoo, major supporter of sport across all levels, signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with athlete Mutaz Barshim.
The agreement was signed at Ooredoo Headquarters by Sheikh
Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Thani — Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Ooredoo Qatar — and Barshim.



Barshim is a Qatari track and field athlete and a triple Olympic medallist (one gold and two silver) in the high jump. The current World Champion and second best high jumper of all-time, with a personal best of 2.43 metres, he won gold at the 2017 World Championships in London and at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Thani said: “Ooredoo’s sponsorship of Mutaz Barshim is one of several initiatives from the company to encourage sports education and inspire more young people to take up a sport of their own, as part of our corporate social responsibility. To date, Barshim has demonstrated through his career the positive values of fair play and sporting excellence.”



“From amateur, grass-roots sports to the highest standards of performance at national and international, Ooredoo aims to be there supporting our athletes,” he added.
Mutaz Barshim welcomed Ooredoo’s support and praised its role in supporting athletes and motivating them to excel, stressing that this sponsorship represents an incentive for him to continue success and excellence in the upcoming competitions.

Sports company PUMA has signed Qatari athlete Mutaz Essa Barshim, one of the most successful high jumpers of all time, who will wear the company’s performance products starting at the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne.





With three World Championships and an Olympic Gold to his name, Barshim has already won everything there is to win in his sport. At the World Championships in Eugene this year, he successfully defended his title and showed he is still on top of his game. “We are so happy to welcome Mutaz to our PUMA Family,” said Pascal Rolling, Head of Sports Marketing. “He is an incredibly talented athlete, and his charm and sportsmanship has done much to promote athletics across the globe.”





Famously, Barshim and Italian PUMA athlete Gianmarco Tamberi decided to share the Gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo after jumping the same height, creating memorable moments of fairness and comradery. Barshim’s personal best of 2.43 meters is the Asian Record and the second-highest jump of all time. At PUMA, Barshim is part of a group of world-class athletes such as 400m hurdles World Record Holder Karsten Warholm, pole vault World Record Holder Armand “Mondo” Duplantis and Jamaican sprinters Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah.