It was a dream outcome shared between good friends as Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi became co-Olympic high jump champions, the Italian also leaping into the Qatari’s arms in an unforgettable and endearing moment at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Barshim and Tamberi both cleared 2.37-meters and then agreed to forego a jump-off, resulting in a shared gold medal on a memorable August 1 evening at Tokyo Olympic Stadium. It marked the first time two gold medals were awarded in an Olympic athletics event since Americans Alfred Gilbert and Ed Cook tied and shared gold in the 1908 London pole vault.
Barshim and Tamberi will hit the track for a friendly re-match as the 2022 Wanda Diamond League season kicks off on Friday night in Doha, a meet showcasing seven reigning Olympic champions, among other world champions and elite competitors.
“We made history with our Olympic gold, but my focus is now entirely on defending my world title in Eugene later this summer,” said Barshim, 30, at a news conference in his native Doha on Thursday ahead of the meeting. “In Tokyo, three athletes cleared 2.37m for the first time ever which shows that the men’s high jump is currently at a very high standard.
“We must all continue to work hard if we’re to push the boundaries of our sport,” added Barshim, who boasts a personal best of 2.43m, the second highest mark all-time. “My training has been going well and I’m looking forward to competing again.”
Tamberi, 29, a former World Indoor and European Championships gold medalist, as well as the Italian national record holder at 2.39m, is also focused on attaining new heights moving forward from Tokyo 2020.
“I celebrated the best moment of my life so far with Mutaz in Tokyo, but it’s important to move on from that and focus on the new goals I’ve set myself for the World and European Championships this summer,” said Tamberi, the 2021 Diamond League high jump champion.
“I’ve been training in Qatar since the end of March, and I’ve enjoyed learning more about this great country. Every time I come here it feels like home due to my friendship with Mutaz and the warm welcome I’ve received, so it means a lot to me to open my Diamond League campaign and summer season in Doha.”
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe highlighted the significance of the meeting at the Qatar Sports Club, a venue that was home to six world-leading performances and three meet records 12 months ago.
“This meeting has a reputation for producing performances which set the tone for the season to come – there’s a superb line-up this year, with seven individual Olympic gold medalists, as well as a smattering of world champions returning to the scene of their triumphs in 2019,” Coe said, referring to the 2019 world championships in the Qatari capital.
“It’s going to be very exciting to see Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi go head-to-head for the first time since that marvelous moment at the Tokyo Olympics, when they agreed to share the gold medal,” said the former 1500m Olympic champion and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member. “Any time they compete together from now on will be a special occasion, even more so in Barshim’s hometown.
In addition to the men’s high jump, other marquee events are the men’s pole vault with world record holder and Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis seeking new heights, in addition to the men’s 200m and 400m hurdles, as well as the women’s 200m.
Duplantis, 22, recently raised his own world record to 6.20m at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia in March. The dominant American-born Swedish pole vaulter won five Diamond League meets last season. He will be seeking his first world title in Eugene, Oregon, later this summer.
The men’s 200m pits Canadian sprinting star and Tokyo Olympic champion Andre De Grasse versus North American rivals Noah Lyles, a double world champion at Doha 2019, and Fred Kerley, the Tokyo 2020 silver medalist.
“Winning gold in Tokyo has given me confidence that I can deliver another championship-winning performance this summer, and I’m looking forward to kicking off my season in Doha as I build towards that goal in Eugene,” said the 27-year-old De Grasse.
The 2022 Wanda Diamond League is comprised of 14 elite-level meetings held across Europe, Asia and North America. It wraps up with the two-day final in Zurich, Switzerland, Sept. 7-8. Each event will be broadcast globally in live two-hour programs.
Coe added: “We’re just getting started, with a round in Eugene (May 28) serving as a warm up for the World Athletics Championships at the same venue in July. This season is already shaping up as a absolute feast of athletics for sports fans.”
The Diamond League series moves forward with the next meet in Birmingham (London) on Saturday, May 21.
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