Two Olympic Athletes Made History After Deciding to Share Gold Medal
Two athletes made history after coming to an agreement to share the gold medal at the Olympics.
Back in 2021, the Summer Olympics took place in Tokyo, Japan. The Games, which were originally scheduled for 2020, were a year late after the COVID-19 outbreak meant they had to be postponed.
During the athletics programme, there was a nail biting finish to the men's high jump event.
Round after round, Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi could not be separated.
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Both athletes were perfect on their first jumps and also cleared 2.37 metres on their first attempt.
The bar was then moved up to 2.39 metres, which was the Olympic record height.
However, both Barshim and Tamberi failed to clear the bar after three attempts (High jumpers have three attempts to clear each height).
After being told that a jump-off would take place, Barshim asked: "Can we have two golds?"
The official replied: "It's possible, yes." Barshim turned to Tamberi and said: "History, my friend. Olympic champions."
After that moment, Barshim and Tamberi shared an embrace and celebrated together as they became joint Olympic champions.
Tamberi made history as he won Italy's first-ever medal in the men's high jump event.
Reflecting on the moment in 2022, Tamberi said to the Olympics: "We looked at each other, and we didn't even think about what it was correct to do in that moment. There was a feeling pushing us to do it. We did it.
"We are great friends and we've been great friends since 2010 and I've been in his wedding, and he will be my wedding."
He added: "In that moment with a friend, you can't have another decision and people see, felt that there was something true behind that. So that's why everybody was so entertained by that moment because it looks like really a true moment and that's what it was for us."
Meanwhile, Barshim said: "This is beyond sport. This is the message we deliver to the young generation."
Marcus Chan