‘Gimbo’ Tamberi won the Rome 2024 high jump competition skipping the measure of 2.34. After the jump she joked, holding her ankle with her hands to simulate an injury (the audience was left holding their breath for a moment) and throwing herself on the ground. Then, laughing, he pulled a spring out of his shoe.
Tamberi show, the fans’ invasion of the pitch
Subsequently Tamberi asked to jump also at 2.37 and passed the measurement on the first attempt. At that point a fan invaded the pitch and went to hug him. Big party at the Olimpico with ‘Gimbo’ who then ran into the stands from President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarellawho hugged him and congratulated him.
After pointing out that “This race is a very important step towards Parisi”, ‘Gimbo’ Tamberi explained from the microphones of Sky Sport the trick of the spring that he pulled out of a shoe, after having faked an injury and therefore scared the crowd at the Olimpico.”The spring? – the words of Tamberi –, I had a bit of fun, I saw the faces of my friends, and of the physiotherapist, this is also nice, creating a bit of suspense. Athletics is not a boring sport made only of results, even if they are the basis of everything and I train like a madman and, together with my wife, I put it ahead of everyone. But at certain times we also need to entertain the people who come here, and make this sport a bit spectacular“. Then a joke about the hug to President Sergio Mattarella: “He is the one who ‘enveloped’ me, and I accepted. Mattarella is a wonderful person, I am very honoured, it means a lot that he found the time to be here today, it means that we are also having our say at the ‘higher levels’“. “Today I looked at the roll of honour – concludes Tamberi – and now I have reached Russia, there are three of us (titles ed.) each. I had to reach it and I hope to surpass it in two years“.
