Drama for Gianmarco Tamberi, gold for Hamish Kerr: The 27-year-old is the first New Zealander to win the Olympic high jump. Kerr won the jump-off against the American Shelby McEwen, both of whom had previously jumped 2.36 metres. After his triumph, Kerr went on a celebration run and lay down in the middle of the grass at the Stade de France to enjoy it. Tokyo Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barshim from Qatar had to make do with bronze (2.34) this time.
Three years ago, Barshim and Tamberi shared gold, but this time the European champion from Italy had no chance of winning a medal – with 2.22 meters he ended up in eleventh place. Tamberi had initially left his start on Saturday open. “I was just taken to the emergency room in an ambulance after vomiting blood twice,” the 32-year-old wrote on Instagram. Almost immediately before the competition, he announced: “I will be there.”
But Tamberi, who was diagnosed with renal colic before leaving for Paris, was so weak that he was unable to fly. After he was eliminated, he cried bitterly in the arms of his fans and his coach. The former European vice-champion Tobias Potye (Munich) was eliminated in the qualification. (sid/lmm)
