There were wild celebrations at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday after high jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi agreed to share the gold medal after a tense and dramatic final.
The pair, who are great friends, could not be separated after a “grueling two-hour competition”. BBC reports Both cleared 2.37m, but had three failures trying to equal the Olympic record of 2.39m.
A Tokyo 2020 official offered them a jump to decide the winner, but Qatari Barshim asked the question: “Can we have two golds?”. The official nodded and Italian Tamberi “jumped into his rival’s arms, then fell flat on his stomach on the hard court, rolled a few times and screamed.” Associated Press said
“I look at him, he looks at me and we know it,” Barshim said. “We just look at each other and know, that’s it, it’s done. There is no need.”
It was the first joint Olympic podium in athletics since 1912 and a “display of sportsmanship that delighted Olympic spectators around the world,” he says. the guardian. It is likely to be remembered as one of the “most moving moments” of the Tokyo games.
Favorite moment of the Olympics so far. Barshim (Qatar) and Tamberi (Italy) were tied in the high jump final. The officer is there talking about a possible jump, but Barshim immediately asks, “Can we have two golds?” One look, without exchanging words, they know they share it. pic.twitter.com/E3SneYFocA
— Andrew Fidel Fernando (@afidelf) August 1, 2021
Hard road to Tokyo
The triumph came after a tough road to Tokyo for both athletes. Barshim battled injury in the years leading up to the games, while a career-threatening broken ankle forced Tamberi to miss the Rio Olympics in 2016. At the stadium, he displayed a chalkboard on which he had written “Road to Tokyo 2020”.
“It’s amazing,” Barshim, 30, said. “This is a dream I don’t want to wake up from. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve been waiting for five years, with injuries and many setbacks. But today we’re here sharing this moment and all the sacrifices. It’s really worth it now in this moment”.
Tamberi, 29, added: “After my injuries, I just wanted to come back, but now I have this gold, it’s amazing. I’ve dreamed about it so many times. In 2016, just before Rio, I was told there was the risk of not being able to compete anymore. It’s been a long journey.”
“It’s an Olympic final, not a tea party”
When the jumpers decided to share the gold medal, fans around the world reacted to the scenes, with many calling it the “best moment of Tokyo 2020”. Al Jazeera reports However, not everyone agreed with the decision.
TV presenter Piers Morgan criticized the men’s high jump stars and “smoked”. Twitterthe Daily Mirror reports He said: “They should have made the jump. It’s an Olympic final, not a tea party. You can’t ‘share’ gold medals.”
There would have been no shame for either Barshim or Tamberi in picking up a silver medal, he says The Telegraphit’s jeremy wilson “As the first single Olympian for more than 100 years, this created an undeniably compelling and humane story. But the International Olympic Committee should minimize the possibility of a repeat.”
How Twitter reacted to the high jump’s golden moment
The decision to share the medal was overwhelmingly well received on social media. Here’s a look at some of the best tweets:
This made me cry. It’s not a joke. Just before taking the final jump, and then after winning the high jump, Gimbo Tamberi placed on the track the cast that saved him from 2016 when he broke his leg 15 days before Rio2016. Climbing. Falling. going back It’s Italy 2021 pic.twitter.com/yKsbp7deT1
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) August 1, 2021
🥇🇮🇹🇶🇦DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL🥇🇨🇴🇶🇦🇶🇦🥇Mutaz Essa Barashim from Qatar🇮🇹🥇Gianmarco Tamberi is Italy’s best moment of joy.#Tokyo2020 #Qatar #Italy pic.twitter.com/UCptiZBRLB
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) August 1, 2021
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