Barshim brings elite high jump to Port Hercule tonight
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
The Monaco Athletics Festival opens on Port Hercule this Wednesday evening, with Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim playing a central role in its organisation.
Port Hercule is trading its superyachts for a high-jump runway this Wednesday evening, as the Monaco Athletics Festival makes its debut at 18:00. The waterfront setting gives the new competition an immediate identity distinct from the indoor-arena circuit, and organisers have clearly designed the event to land as a spectacle as much as a sporting contest.
Mutaz Barshim, the Qatari high jumper who has won Olympic gold and held the world record, is closely involved in shaping the event rather than simply appearing as a headline name. His involvement gives the competition genuine credibility on the international athletics calendar from its first edition.
For residents and visitors in Monaco this week, the Port Hercule arena is within walking distance of most of the Principality and free to watch from the quayside. The combination of a world-class field, one of sport's most visually dramatic disciplines and a harbour backdrop should make Wednesday evening worth clearing the diary for.