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Tamberi (left) and Barshim celebrate their gold medals together in the high jump
Photo:
Oliver Weiken / dpa
It is one of the great moments of these Olympic Games in Tokyo: For the first time there are two Olympic champions in the classic discipline of high jumping - and that after both athletes had agreed on it themselves.
The Italian Gianmarco Tamberi and world champion Mutaz Essa Barshim from Qatar both jumped 2.37 meters in Tokyo and then failed each at 2.39 meters.
Since both had the same number of unsuccessful attempts, the referee came to them and explained their options: "You can jump on," he said.
"Can we have gold twice?" Asked Barshim.
"That is possible," said the referee.
Barshim nodded, Tamberi could hardly believe it.
Both athletes shook hands - then the emotions broke out.
Tamberi jumped around and Barshim around his neck.
Then he fell to the ground, crying, while Barshim raised his fist to the sky.
Third was the Belarusian Maxim Nedasekau, who also reached 2.37 meters, but had more failed attempts.
“It's unreal, it's crazy, I'm so happy,” said Barshim, “I was still missing that medal, now I'm complete.
It's a great feeling to share the gold with Marco. "
The 30-year-old Barshim, who won bronze in 2012 and silver in 2012, secured Qatar the second Olympic gold medal in the country's history.
The day before, weightlifter Fares El-Bakh had triumphed.
Ex-European champion Tamberi (29) had never won an Olympic medal before.
For him, his shared victory was the happy ending five years after experiencing an Olympic disaster: He was in top form and favorite before the 2016 Rio Games, before a ligament injury stopped him shortly before the start of the Olympic Games.
He later celebrated his victory with his compatriot Lamont Marcell Jacobs, the new 100-meter Olympic champion.
Both lay in each other's arms with happiness.
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Barshim celebrates his gold medal
Photo: Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
JuVaughn Harrison (USA), who started with the aim of becoming the first track and field athlete since 1896 to win gold in both the high and long jump, came in seventh with 2.33 meters.
On Monday (10:20 a.m. CEST) he has his second chance for a medal in the long jump final.
Rio Olympic champion Derek Drouin (Canada) did not make it to Tokyo after protracted injury problems.
The poor form European champion Mateusz Przybylko (Leverkusen) clearly failed in qualifying on Friday.
Since Dietmar Mögenburg's Olympic victory in Los Angeles in 1984, no German high jumper has won a medal.
mey / sid
