Tokyo 2020: athletes share gold in men’s high jump

Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi will share the gold medal for the men’s high jump.

In a display of good sportsmanship, after both jumpers cleared 2.37m, they opted to share the top spot on the podium.

The two athletes are good friends, and they were perfect throughout the competition, making each jump on their first try as the field diminished.

Soon, we were in the medals. Three athletes scaled 2.37m – Barshim, Tamberi, and Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus. They were faced with a height of 2.39m, and none of the jumpers were able to clear it.

With Nedasekau taking the bronze on countback (he missed a couple of jumps in the earlier rounds, and thus had a lower overall score), the two star athletes were told that the next step was a ‘jump-off’, to see who could outlast the other for the gold.

Instead, reigning world champion Barshim asked whether it was possible to have two gold medals instead. Upon being told that it was, the Qatari and Italian athletes opted to share the victory, congratulating each other and standing atop the podium.

Barshim said that the victory needed to be shared: “For me, coming here, I know for a fact that for the performance I did, I deserve that gold. He did the same thing, so I know he deserved that gold.

“I look at him, he looks at me, and we know it. We just look at each other and we know, that is it, it is done. There is no need.

“He is one of my best friends, not only on the track, but outside the track. We work together. This is a dream come true. It is the true spirit, the sportsman spirit, and we are here delivering this message.”

Tamberi agreed: “I still can’t believe it happened. Sharing with a friend is even more beautiful. It was just magical.”

The victory came after both athletes had a tough time with injury in the run-up to Tokyo 2020, and it was widely shared on social media, with some already describing it as the best moment of the Games.