Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, as BBC Sport names them, “have been friends for over ten years after first meeting at the World Junior Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, in 2010,” TODAY wrote in 2021. “It was there that Barshim won the title, while Tamberi didn’t qualify for the event.” At the Monaco Diamond League meeting in July 2016, “at the third time of asking he went over to break his own Italian record,” the IAAF reported. Then, “On his second attempt at 2.41m, he crashed through the bar and rolled off the side of the mat. The next time he could be seen was on a stretcher nursing his left ankle.” He “tore a ligament in his left ankle,” World Athletics says, “just three weeks before the Rio Games where he would have started as one of the favourites.” “I was told in 2016 just before Rio there was a risk I wouldn’t be able to compete any more,” he told BBC Sport, which says, “He kept the cast, writing ‘Road to Tokyo 2020’ on it, and had it with him as he won Olympic gold.”
“When he started his comeback in 2017, it went badly,” World Athletics says. “At his second competition, the Diamond League meeting in Paris, he no-heighted and was inconsolable, shutting himself in his hotel room and refusing to talk to anyone.” In his own column, “My Friend Mutaz,” Tamberi wrote: “I did badly in Paris, really awful. I couldn’t clear my opening height.” “The day after, Mutaz started knocking on my room and he wouldn’t go away.” “So I gave in and let him in,” and Barshim told him, “Just do it for yourself, in your own time.” “A year later it was Tamberi’s turn to offer his shoulder when Barshim sustained the exact same injury,” World Athletics says.
“He took the cast that stabilised his ankle after his surgery to Tokyo as a reminder of how far he had come since that devastating day, and used it to mark the start of his run up in the Olympic final,” World Athletics says. In that final, on Sunday, August 1, 2021, the two “sailed through the competition on Sunday (1) without a miss through to 2.37m, Barshim over six heights and Tamberi seven.” Then “Both had three failures as they attempted to match the Olympic record of 2.39m,” BBC Sport says. “After three failures each at that height, an Olympic official first offered them a jump-off to decide the winner,” Reuters reported; TODAY says they “were called towards the official, who began to explain that they could continue with a jump-off to determine the winner.”
“‘Can we have two golds?’ Barshim asked him,” Reuters wrote, and “The official nodded.” “The moment that the official told Barshim, ‘It’s possible,’ the athlete immediately reached out to Tamberi to shake his hand,” TODAY says, and “They barely waited for his reply as Tamberi leapt into his friend and rival’s arms to celebrate,” World Athletics recalled in 2022. “He is one of my best friends, not only on the track, but outside the track,” Barshim said, Reuters reported, and in World Athletics’ account Tamberi said, “Neither of us wanted to take this immense joy away from the other.” “Instead, they made history – it was the first joint Olympic podium in athletics since 1912,” BBC Sport says. The next day, “After climbing on to the podium together, Barshim and Tamberi presented the gold medals to each other amid more hugs,” Reuters reported. And in 2022 Tamberi said, “After the Olympic Games, this big friendship became like family. He will forever be my brother.”
Fact check
The facts and where they come from
- He was offered a jump-off for Olympic gold, but he didn’t want to beat his best friend. Reuters: “After three failures each at that height, an Olympic official first offered them a jump-off to decide the winner.” BBC Sport: “The athletes were offered an opportunity to take part in a jump-off.” Barshim, quoted by Reuters: “He is one of my best friends, not only on the track, but outside the track.” Tamberi, quoted by World Athletics: “Neither of us wanted to take this immense joy away from the other.” 762
- His name is Mutaz Barshim, a high jumper from Qatar. BBC Sport: “both Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi taking gold medals.” 6
- His friend is Gianmarco Tamberi, a high jumper from Italy. BBC Sport: “both Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi taking gold medals.” 6
- In 2016, Tamberi broke the Italian record, then crashed and tore an ankle ligament. IAAF, Monaco, July 2016: “at the third time of asking he went over to break his own Italian record” … “On his second attempt at 2.41m, he crashed through the bar and rolled off the side of the mat. The next time he could be seen was on a stretcher nursing his left ankle.” World Athletics: he “tore a ligament in his left ankle when attempting to top 2.41m at the Monaco Diamond League meeting.” 51
- He missed the Olympics, but wrote on his cast, “Road to Tokyo 2020.” BBC Sport: “Gianmarco Tamberi suffered a leg injury just before the Rio 2016 Olympics, ruling him out of those Games.” … “He kept the cast, writing ‘Road to Tokyo 2020’ on it, and had it with him as he won Olympic gold.” World Athletics: “just three weeks before the Rio Games where he would have started as one of the favourites.” 61
- The next summer, after a disastrous meet, he shut himself in his hotel room. World Athletics: “when he started his comeback in 2017, it went badly. At his second competition, the Diamond League meeting in Paris, he no-heighted and was inconsolable, shutting himself in his hotel room and refusing to talk to anyone.” Tamberi, in his column “My Friend Mutaz”: “I did badly in Paris, really awful. I couldn’t clear my opening height.” 24
- So Barshim kept knocking until he let him in. Tamberi, in “My Friend Mutaz”: “The day after, Mutaz started knocking on my room and he wouldn’t go away.” … “So I gave in and let him in.” … “he wouldn’t leave me alone until I let him in.” 4
- In Tokyo, Tamberi brought the old cast. World Athletics: “He took the cast that stabilised his ankle after his surgery to Tokyo as a reminder of how far he had come since that devastating day, and used it to mark the start of his run up in the Olympic final.” World Athletics’ report dates the final “Sunday (1)” August 2021. 21
- Neither missed once, all the way up to 2.37 meters. World Athletics: “sailed through the competition on Sunday (1) without a miss through to 2.37m, Barshim over six heights and Tamberi seven.” 1
- Then both failed three times at 2.39 meters. World Athletics: “After each missed three times at 2.39m.” BBC Sport: “Both had three failures as they attempted to match the Olympic record of 2.39m.” 16
- An official offered them a jump-off. Reuters: “After three failures each at that height, an Olympic official first offered them a jump-off to decide the winner.” BBC Sport: “The athletes were offered an opportunity to take part in a jump-off.” TODAY: they “were called towards the official, who began to explain that they could continue with a jump-off to determine the winner.” 769
- But Barshim asked, “Can we have two golds?” Reuters: “‘Can we have two golds?’ Barshim asked him.” World Athletics gives the same words. 72
- The official said, “It’s possible.” TODAY: “The moment that the official told Barshim, ‘It’s possible,’ the athlete immediately reached out to Tamberi to shake his hand.” Reuters: “The official nodded.” 97
- Then Tamberi leapt into his arms. World Athletics (2022): “They barely waited for his reply as Tamberi leapt into his friend and rival’s arms to celebrate.” 3
- It was the first shared Olympic athletics gold in over a century. BBC Sport: “Instead, they made history – it was the first joint Olympic podium in athletics since 1912.” 6
- Later, Tamberi said, “He will forever be my brother.” Tamberi, quoted by World Athletics in 2022: “After the Olympic Games, this big friendship became like family. He will forever be my brother.” 3
Sources
- Tokyo Olympic Games men’s high jump report (Bob Ramsak, August 1, 2021) World Athletics
- Barshim and Tamberi, an incredible story of friendship and shared gold (Nicole Jeffery, August 2, 2021) World Athletics
- From Tokyo to Oregon, the next chapter for Tamberi and Barshim begins in Doha (May 9, 2022) World Athletics
- My Friend Mutaz (Gianmarco Tamberi, January 12, 2018) World Athletics Spikes
- Tamberi follows record high with heart-breaking low in Monaco (July 15, 2016) IAAF (World Athletics)
- Tokyo Olympics: ‘Can we have two golds?’ – high jumpers share win (August 1, 2021) BBC Sport
- Olympic high jumpers persuade organizers to let them share gold medal (August 1, 2021) Reuters, on CBC
- Barshim, Tamberi ‘love-in’ takes another leap on podium (August 2, 2021) Reuters, in the Daily FT
- High jumpers — longtime friends and rivals — decide to share gold medal (August 1, 2021) TODAY
Notes
“Broke” or “tore”: some outlets, and Tamberi’s own column, say he broke his ankle; World Athletics and the Italian federation describe a torn ligament in his left ankle. The Short says “tore an ankle ligament.”
The words on the cast: “Road to Tokyo 2020” (BBC Sport and the Associated Press) or “My road to Tokyo” (World Athletics). The Short uses “Road to Tokyo 2020”; the cast itself isn’t shown.
The official’s words: TODAY quotes him as saying “It’s possible”; Reuters says only that he nodded, and accounts of the rest of what he said differ, so only “It’s possible” is quoted.
“Over a century”: BBC Sport says it was the first joint Olympic athletics podium since 1912; other sources count from a shared pole vault title in 1908. “Over a century” is true either way.
“Neither missed once”: Barshim cleared six heights and Tamberi seven, all at the first try (World Athletics); the Short says neither missed, not that they jumped at every height.
“The next summer”: the Paris meeting was in Tamberi’s 2017 comeback season (World Athletics and his own column); its exact date wasn’t read in a source, so the Short gives none.
Left out: a claim that two men had never before cleared 2.37 meters at one Olympics (doubtful), differing versions of other words the two exchanged, criticism of the shared gold, medical detail beyond the injury and the cast, and both men’s private lives.
Pictures: The only free photo of the two of them together in Tokyo is Bob Ramsak’s of the medal ceremony on August 2, 2021, the day after the final, as Barshim presents Tamberi with his gold medal; there is no free photo of the final itself, the Monaco fall, the cast or the hotel night in 2017. Mutaz Barshim is at the Doha Diamond League on May 6, 2011 (two photos), with his medals in Doha on March 15, 2014, at Malmö Arena on February 25, 2015, over the bar at the Paris meeting in the Stade de France on July 4, 2015, at Pedro’s Cup in Łódź on February 6, 2016, and over the bar at Athletissima in Lausanne on August 26, 2022. Gianmarco Tamberi is at the World Indoor Championships in Portland on March 20, 2016 (three photos: over 2.36 meters, a close-up, and roaring after clearing 2.33), at the European Championships in Amsterdam on July 10, 2016, before the Karlsruhe indoor meeting on February 1, 2019, at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow on March 1, 2019, celebrating his European title in Munich on August 18, 2022 (two photos), and over the bar at Athletissima in Lausanne on August 26, 2022. None of these is from Monaco or the Tokyo final. The Stade Louis II in Monaco, home of the meeting where he was hurt, was photographed in 2010; the Rio Olympic Stadium during the athletics on August 17, 2016; and the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo from inside, empty, on a stadium tour on June 25, 2022, and from outside on March 9, 2025.
Photo credits
The archive photos in this story
The photographs and illustrations in this story are in the public domain or shared under open licenses; each one is credited below with its license. Tap one to enlarge it, or follow the link to its Wikimedia Commons page for the full record. The narration, captions and graphics in the Short are our own; its music and sound effects are credited below.
Music and sound effects
Music: Satie, Gymnopedie No. 1 (Lent et douloureux) (Robin Alciatore, piano, public domain); Brahms, Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73: IV. Allegro con spirito (Musopen Symphony Orchestra, CC0); Brahms, Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68: IV. Adagio - Piu andante - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio (Musopen Symphony Orchestra, CC0).
Sound effects: Freesound, CC0.
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