Syrian Olympian Majededdin Ghazal did not only win a gold medal on May 18, but also registered world-leading jump for the men’s outdoor high jump event at the 2016 IAAF World Challenge in Beijing.
Ghazal’s 2.36 meter jump beat the previous 2.33 meter lead shared by Erik Kynard, Guowei Zhang, and Yu Wang. The 29-year-old is currently ranked fourth on the list of the best Asian high jumpers of all-time, which is topped by Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim (2.42 meter).
After exceeding the 2.29 meter qualification standard for this year’s games in Rio, the champion will represent his country at the Olympics for the third time. He competed in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games, ranking 24 th and 28 th respectively.
Nonetheless, his recent victory has proven him to be a serious contender for winning in Rio, stirring the community’s hopes for the first Syrian Olympic medal since 2004. Along with Ghazal, Syrian table tennis player Heba Allejji will be heading to Rio after receiving an invitation to compete at the women’s singles Olympic event.
Syria has won three Olympic medals since its first participation in the 1948 London Olympics. The first was a silver medal earned by wrestler Joseph Atiyeh in 1984, followed by heptathlete Ghada Shouaa’s gold medal in 1996, and finally a bronze medal by boxer Nasser Al Shami in 2004.