Two High Jumpers Made History at the Olympics After Agreeing to Share Gold

These two Olympians are the real-life definition of “sharing is caring.”

During the men’s high jump final at the Tokyo Olympics, Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar) and Gianmarco Tamberi (Italy) made history when they opted to share the gold medal. The decision came after the pair both cleared 2.39 meters, putting Maksim Nedasekau (Belarus) in the bronze medal position.

As a result of the tie, an Olympics representative presented Barshim and Tamberi with two options: 1. Compete in a jump-off for the gold medal, or 2. share first place. This prompted the athletes to clarify the terms, saying, “Can we have two golds?” When they received an affirmative answer, they immediately agreed before proceeding with their celebrations.

During a press conference, Barshim said the decision was a no-brainer. “Coming here and being at the top of the game, to win the Olympics, it’s a dream come true,” he explained. “Once we finished with that 2.39m jump he just looked at me, I look at him, and we just understood that there was no need to go (and compete). It wasn’t even a question.”

Barshim continued, “This is beyond sport. This is sportsmanship, and this is the message we deliver to the young generation.”

This is Barshim’s first gold, but it’s not his first Olympic medal. He previously won bronze at the 2012 London games, followed by silver at the 2016 Rio games. Although Tamberi was supposed to compete in Rio, he was forced to withdraw due to an injury.

Welp, we love this so much.

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