Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi are among the top high jumpers on the planet. They both recovered from bad injuries to compete in the Tokyo Olympic games.
In the finals, they cleared an impressive 2.37m each. It was now time for a “jump off.” This meant they would go head-to-head one jump after another – till somebody lost.
That’s when Barshim asks the referee – “Can we both have golds?”
“It is possible” – the referee responds
The two look at each other, shake hands, give each other hugs, and celebrate.
It is a beautiful moment. A moment where they chose to go for a “win-win.” No egos involved – just a wonderful celebration of mutual respect and a reminder of what matters.
You can watch the exchange here – starts at 4:00. It is wonderful.
