TOKYO: Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi on Sunday shared a rare Olympic athletics gold in the high jump here at Olympic Stadium.
Barshim became Qatar’s first Olympic track and field champion. He alongside Tamberi registered a best clearance of 2.37 meters on Sunday.
Both Barshim, 30, and the 29-year-old Tamberi did not have a failed attempt until they attempted to clear the 2.39-meter mark.
After three failures each at 2.39, both Barshim, 30, and the 29-year-old Tamberi ended up tied and entered a conversation with an Olympic official, about a prospective jump-off, but Mutaz asked immediately: “Can we have two golds?”
One look, and with no words exchanged, both athletes knew they were sharing it as they gripped hands and whooped for tremendous joy.
With this moment of absolute history, they became the first joint Olympic podium in athletics since 1912. “It is amazing.
This is a dream I don’t want to wake up from,” BBC Sport quoted Barshim as saying. “I have been through a lot. It’s been five years that I have been waiting, with injuries and a lot of setbacks. But we are here today sharing this moment and all the sacrifices.
It’s really worth it now at this moment.” Tamberi had to take time out to recover from a career-threatening injury that ruled him out of Rio 2016. “After my injuries, I just wanted to come back, but now I have this gold, it’s incredible.
I dreamed of this so many times,” said the Italian. “I was told in 2016 just before Rio there was a risk I wouldn’t be able to compete anymore. It’s been a long journey.” (ANI)
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