Paris. New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr won the men’s Olympic high jump gold medal with a personal best of 2.36 metres after a long and gruelling finale on Saturday, securing his country’s first medal in the event.
Qatari defending champion Mutaz Barshim took bronze with a season-best of 2.34 metres.
Her failures to jump higher sparked a war of attrition between Kerr and American Shelby McEwen in their fight for gold after they mutually decided not to share the top step of the podium.
Both began to tire and failed to clear 2.38 metres after three attempts. The bar was lowered again to 2.36 metres and then to 2.34 metres. Kerr was the first to clear the bar at that height and ultimately claimed victory.
After clearing the bar, the New Zealander ran to the centre of the field and dropped to the grass in joy and relief. It was also an impressive result for McEwen, a personal best and a huge improvement after finishing 12th at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Barshim probably had a sense of déjà vu watching the duel. After the draw in the Tokyo final, he and Italian Gianmarco Tamberi decided to share the gold medal.
The Qatari did a somersault on the mat after his final jump, and the bronze became his fourth medal in as many Olympic appearances.
Tamberi, suffering from kidney colic, was out of action early in the competition, distressed after failing to clear 2.27 metres.
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– 2024-08-17 16:11:26
