World Athletics Championships: Brandon Starc sixth in high jump as local hero Mutaz Essa Barshim takes gold

Aussie high jumper Brandon Starc knows he has plenty of work to do if he is to feature among the medals at the Tokyo Olympics after a disappointing’ performance at the World Athletics Championships.

Brandon Starc just couldn’t match it with the big guns.

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A frustrated Brandon Starc is confident an injury-free run into Tokyo will see him challenging for medals.

The Australian high-jumper was disappointed about the world championships final where he finished sixth behind Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim.

Starc struggled to find his rhythm before a first-up clearance at 2.30m put him back in the medal frame but he was then unable to clear 2.33m.

“It’s disappointing, the result and how I jumped really,” he said.

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Brandon Starc just couldn’t match it with the big guns.

Mutaz Essa Barshim proved too good on home soil.

“Not horrible but not what I wanted.

“I didn’t really put it together, maybe 2.30 was alright, but really the other jumps weren’t great.

“I was disappointed with my jumping, obviously I came here to medal, to win, but the other guys were impressive.”

For the first time Khalifi Stadium was at capacity with the locals flocking on mass to support Barshim, the defending world champion.

The atmosphere was electric and Barshim didn’t let them down after he surived a scare at 2.33m when he missed his first two attempts.

But after clearing it with his last attempt he then jumped 2.35m and 2.37m on his first attempts to claim the gold medal.

Dalilah Muhammad set a new world record in the 400m hurdles.

Starc said it was a unique experience being out there with the crowd so vocally involved in the event.

“That was better than what I expected to be honest,” he said.

“The stadium was full, packed and very very loud and Barshim provided the goods and won.’

A top six finish for Starc, 25, is an excellent result given the Commonwealth champion had an injury-interrupted season because of a back problem.

“I’m sure once I digest it all, kind of look back I think it will be alright,” he said.

“I’m still disappointed but I think if we get into next season injury-free, put a good base I think in Tokyo I’ll be right in there.”

Nana Adoma Owusu-Afriyie and Maddie Coates got it all wrong in the relay.

Australia now has three top six finishes with Matt Denny coming sixth in the discus and Kelsey-Lee Barber winning the javelin.

The highlight of the night was another world record to American Dalilah Muhammad in the 400m hurdles.

Muhammad, who broke the world record for the first time in July, was pushed all the way by her teammate Sydney McLaughlin before taking gold in 52.16sec - .04sec better than her previous mark.

There was drama in the women’s 4x100m relay with Australia being disqualified after a bungled change saw both Nana Owusu-Afriyie and Maddie Coates hit the deck.

National record holder Melissa Breen has run the first leg and made a clean change to Owusu-Afriyie who had Australia positioned midifeld when she went to make her change with Coates.

This was where things went horribly wrong with Coates stumbling before her teammate then tripped over her.

The Aussie girls picked themselves up after their 4x100m relay dramas.

In the men’s 1500m semi-finals Australia’s Matthew Ramsden and Stewart McSweyn both failed to progress through to the final.

Ramsden, who fell in the heat and was promoted into the semi-final after a protest, fought hard down the straight to finish eighth (3min37.16sec) while McSweyn struggled in the first semi-final, finishing 10th (3:37.95sec)