Barshim, Tamberi share men’s high jump win in Tokyo

TOKYO (Reuters) — Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim added Olympic gold to his list of accolades in the men’s high jump in Tokyo on Sunday — and persuaded organizers to let him share it with his friend and rival, Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi.

Both Barshim, 30, and the 29-yearold Tamberi ended with jumps of 2.37 meters and had no failed attempts until they attempted to clear 2.39.

After three failures each at that height, an Olympic official first offered them a jump-off to decide the winner.

“Can we have two golds?”, Barshim asked him.

The official nodded, and the two athletes clasped hands and whooped for joy.

“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,” Barshim said.

“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.”

It was also a win-win situation for the Italian, who broke his ankle days before the Rio Games in 2016.

“After my injuries I just wanted to come back, but now I have this gold, it’s incredible,” he said. “I dreamed of this so many times.

“I was told in 2016 just before Rio there was a risk I wouldn’t be able to compete any more. It’s been a long journey.”

Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus, who also cleared 2.37, took the bronze on countback.

Barshim won bronze, later upgraded to silver, at the London 2012 Games.