BUDAPEST: Italy’s Olympic champion and showman Gianmarco Tamberi captured the world high jump title on Tuesday, in a dramatic finish against young American JuVaughn Harrison. Tamberi, who famously shared the Olympic title with three-time world champion Mutaz Barshim of Qatar, cleared a world-leading 2.36 metres for gold. He missed at one attempt at 2.40 and then called it a night, his victory secured. The 31-year-old Tamberi, wearing one green sock and one red, and his face shaved on only one side, leapt into the water hazard of the steeplechase in wild celebration with Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, who had just raced to gold in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase.
Tamberi’s dad Marco had been his coach until days before last year’s world championships in Eugene, when he switched to Giulio Ciotti. The 24-year-old Harrison also cleared 2.36 but had more misses on the countback, and so took silver for his first senior global medal.
Barshim cleared 2.33 for bronze, missing at all three attempts at 2.36. The 32-year-old, who has the second best jump in history – 2.43 behind Cuban great Javier Sotomayor (2.45 in 1993) – looked in for a rough night when he missed his first attempt at 2.25. Tamberi now has a full collection of high jump golds, having also captured world indoor, European and Diamond League titles. Silver was a terrific result for Harrison, who in Tokyo became the first American since Jim Thorpe in 1912 to compete in both the long jump, finishing fifth, and high jump (seventh) at the Olympics.