The Tokyo Olympics is by far one of the most awaited events that not only brings people together, but also is full of surprises—one of these being a recent and very special win. High jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi both qualified for the gold medal and when the opportunity to solve this situation with a jump-off was presented, they decided to share the medal instead.

This win became special for a couple of reasons. People were fascinated by the heartwarming agreement between the athletes. It showed that great things can be achieved without always putting fierce competition first. As it turns out, Barshim and Tamberi have known each other for quite some time and became friends who supported each other through hard times. In the past, they both suffered from severe ankle injuries.

People all over the world are cheering for these two athletes who decided to share their gold medal

Image credits: AFP

Mutaz Essa Barshim is an athlete from Qatar who has won the gold medal multiple times since 2010. In 2018 he suffered from a severe ankle injury and had to step back for the rest of the season. After this, he was very determined to come back and ensure his victory.

Image credits: CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA

Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi became the first joint 1st-place winners since 1912

Image credits: REUTERS

Gianmarco Tamberi, who is an Italian high jumper, also had a very similar path to Barshim’s. In 2016, he became the World Indoor champion. The same year, the Olympics were held, but he couldn’t participate due to his injury. A fun fact about Tamberi is that he used to show up to some major competitions with only half his beard shaved, leaving people to question what was the purpose of this.

Image credits: Pool via Reuters

Image credits: Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Image credits: ZUMAPRESS.com

During the Olympics, both athletes succeeded at jumping 2.37 meters. After this, they tried to jump 2.39 meters, but all three tries were unsuccessful. Since their score was the same, they could’ve settled this over a jump-off. The athletes went to discuss the situation with officials and it didn’t take long for them to decide to become joint winners. This is the first time since the 1912 Olympics that athletes have shared a gold medal.
What are your thoughts on this win? Don’t forget to leave them in the comments down below!

People in the comments were fascinated by their instant decision to share the gold medal

However, some people found this unacceptable as it defeats the purpose of competition

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