Bulgarian High Jumper Tihomir Ivanov Secures Final Spot at Paris 2024

Tihomir Ivanov from Bulgaria has secured a spot in the men's high jump final at the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games in Paris. The 30-year-old, making his third Olympic appearance, cleared 2.24 meters on his second attempt to place among the top 12 finalists.

Ivanov, who hails from Pleven, easily surpassed the initial height of 2.15 meters and managed to clear 2.20 meters on his second try after a foul on his first attempt. He then succeeded in clearing 2.24 meters on his second attempt after a foul on his first. Despite failing to clear 2.27 meters in three attempts—coming closest on his final attempt where he brushed the bar with his spike—his performance secured him the 12th position among the finalists.

World indoor champion Hamish Kerr from New Zealand and silver medalist Shelby McEwan from the USA led the qualifiers with a height of 2.27 meters. Kerr cleared the height on his first attempt, while McEwan did so on his second.

Mutaz Essa Barsham of Qatar, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, also qualified with a height of 2.27 meters but only on his second attempt after a slip at 2.27 meters led to a brief injury scare. His friend Gianmarco Tamberi, the Tokyo 2020 co-champion from Italy, made the final with a height of 2.24 meters, though he struggled with 2.27 meters, recording three failures.

Unexpectedly, European runner-up Vladyslav Lavskyy from Ukraine could not clear 2.20 meters, and world silver medalist JuVaughn Harrison from the USA failed to clear 2.24 meters and appeared to be in discomfort.