Zurich, August 24, 2017-Qatar's Mutaz Barshim will participate in Zurich Diamond League Meeting to be staged on Thursday.

Sixteen IAAF Diamond League champions will be crowned today in Zurich, the first of two 2017 IAAF Diamond League finals.

In all, 17 freshly-minted world champions and 14 reigning Olympic champions will be on the slate before a sell-out crowd of 25,000 at Zurich's Letzigrund Stadium.

“In Birmingham, I knew I was in good shape, but I was tired from world championships. My coach told me, I am in good shape, but not until the competition started, something clicked in my head and I finally found my rhythm. The world record is a target of mine. I was close to it a few years ago, but had some injuries, and it took me two and a half years to get back to this level. Now I think, it is a matter of time." Barshim Said.

“But I need good competition for that. Maybe tomorrow, I can go higher than in Birmingham last week. The weather will be good, the crowd also. The atmosphere among the high jumpers is changing. We take rivalry differently than other generations years ago. To me, my rival is the bar, not the other athletes. We are like family, and I am happy for the guys when they clear the bar." He added.