An anthological evening for Gianmarco Tamberi after winning gold in the high jump at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. The Italian champion was the absolute protagonist, transforming the Olympic stadium into a theatrical stage, in front of the delirious fans and president Mattarella, in the grandstand. Tamberi like Valentino Rossi, with the same hunger for victories and the same innate ability to enchant beyond the boundaries of his own discipline.
the entrance of drums
—
Gimbo began his personal show right from the call to the stage, running in and going to greet the President of the Republic with a bow. Then greetings to the public, smiles, encouragement to his national team teammates and opponents. Then the start of the competition with the jump at 2.22 in ease. Smiles and bows, as if he were training. Between one jump and another, he finds time to go and console an opponent who went out at 2.22. Then he “returns” to the race and the real show begins.
drum errors
—
The Tokyo Olympic champion makes a mistake at 2.26, a measurement he passed on the second attempt, he even makes two at 2.29 and shakes his head, throwing the people at the Olimpico into despair. Do you want to see that it’s the wrong night? Instead… he puts things right by jumping 2.31 on the first attempt, at which point he has the reasonable certainty of having the continental gold in his pocket. Certainty that materializes immediately afterwards.
drums like valentino
—
And then Tamberi becomes Rossi. He jumps 2.34, drives the stadium crazy then runs towards his position and collapses to the ground, takes off a shoe and has the grin of someone who is suffering. He seems to be in pain, in the stands you can see the spectators with their hands in their hair, all holding their breath: no, once again an injury before the Olympics like in 2016? But is it a curse? Moments of pure terror, then the cameras return to Tamberi who, from the ground, has slipped his hand, without being seen, into the bag where he keeps his things. He takes out a shoe, another carefully kept hidden, puts his hands inside and… voilà, dozens of small metal springs come out, glittering in the evening of the Olimpico which becomes an open-air theater. He is ideally telling the world: “These are what make me jump!”. No, it’s the spring that he has in his brain, in reality, that once again takes him head and shoulders above the others. The spectators go crazy, Mattarella smiles and applauds, Tamberi-Valentino is the Italian genius made sport, made epic.
gimbo’s kiss
—
He sows softly on the platform and he laughs, a judge tells him “yes but now you pick them up!” and he laughs, looks at the audience, exalts them, then runs from one side of the stadium to the other, hugs everyone, poses for the photographers and bows before climbing onto the main stage: the “his” president, Mattarella welcomes Gimbo wrapped in the Tricolor and Tamberi bows. He was keen to give the President the gold, mission accomplished. Then he goes back down and goes to his wife Chiara, who was suffering with him and for him in the stands. He hugs and kisses, then the show starts again. Tamberi, like Valentino, someone who shines more than the metals he wins.
