Respect and love for fellow athlete led Barshim to share gold medal

Qatari champion Mutaz Barshim, who won gold in the high jump competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, spoke with pride about his decision to share the medal with his Italian colleague Gianmarco Tamberi.

In a press statement on Wednesday, Barshim said, "The decision to share the Olympic gold medal was a purely emotional one, respect and love for my fellow competitor. I know how much it means to win gold. The opportunity to share gold is something I will cherish for the rest of my life."Tamberi celebrated loudly after Barshim agreed to share the gold, and hugged his Qatari friend in a snapshot that attracted world attention and was widely praised. This is the first time an Olympic gold in athletics has been shared since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the pentathlon and decathlon.The Qatari star added that he hopes we can inspire people that the participation and support of colleagues is one of the most powerful gifts we have.Barshim added, "As an individual sport, high jumping imposed on me a lot of loneliness and personal constraints, and a lot of sacrifices, challenges and difficult times that were the price of winning gold."He pointed out that this tournament was the most difficult, and considered the strongest in the history of the Olympic Games in the modern era. It is difficult to find three players who win with a height of more than 2.37 m, as well as two players who exceeded 2.35 m and players who have crossed 2.33 m, but these are historically the strongest and the best.About his relationship with the Italian competitor, Barshim said: "Tamberi and I have been friends for 11 years.... After we reached 2.37 m and there was a "playoff" option to make a jump.... I was better than him personally and he knew that, and the referee came to explain the new law that allows two players to win gold."Speaking about the Aspire Academy, the Qatari athlete said the academy enhances one's sports and educational excellence. Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim succeeded in embracing glory and writing history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, when he won the gold medal in the high jump, to be the first Qatari champion to win three Olympic medals in three consecutive sessions. He won bronze in 2012 in London, and silver in Rio 2016 in Brazil , and gold in the current Tokyo 2020.Barshim, a role model for Qatari athletes has also become an international model , thanks to his high morals. His golden moment was when he agreed to share the gold with Italian Tamberi, in a scene described as the best in "Tokyo Olympics" and one that will remain one of the most important scenes indicative of sportsmanship in history.-QNA