High Jump, Men

The best jumper over the past few years had been Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim, but he had only managed a season’s best of 2.30 and was expected to be challenged by Russian Olympic Committee jumper Ilya Ivanyuk. There was some focus on the United States’ JuVaughn Harrison, who was competing in both the high jump and long jump, the first American to do that at the Olympics since Jim Thorpe in 1912.

The level of jumping was high as seven cleared 2.33, the most ever at a competition, and four jumpers cleared 2.35 metres, with two passing to the next height of 2.37. At 2.37 three jumpers cleared on their first attempt – Barshim, Italian Gianmarco Tamberi, and Belarussian Maksim Nedasekau. With passes, however, there were still six jumpers in the competition at 2.39, but Harrison, Korea’s Wu Sang-Hyeok, and Australian Brandon Starc would not clear and the medals were decided.

When Barshim, Tamberi, and Nedasekau missed all three attempts at 2.39, the bronze medal went to the Belarussian as he had one miss at his opening height of 2.19 and Barshim and Tamberi had been clear. A jump-off for gold seemed in the offing.

Or did it? An official met with the two jumpers and they asked if they had to jump-off, or if they could share the gold medal. The official informed them they could do that, and both Barshim and Tamberi would take gold. Tamberi, a decided underdog, was exultant and his victory celebration was one of the highlights of the athletics competition at Tokyo. Two gold medals in an Olympic athletics event had not happened since the 1908 pole vault, when A. C. Gilbert and Ed Cook had shared gold.