Tokyo Olympics: Two athletes decided to share the gold medal. A rare gesture happening after 109 years!

The Olympic games are not only a projection of great skills, but also they depict the beauty of human values and sportsmanship. Yesterday, two athletes made the audience feel overwhelmed by sharing the gold medal. These kind gestures are the ones that restore faith in humanity.

The final round of men’s high jump happened at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday. The gold medal was shared between Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi in a dramatic conclusion and scenes of high emotion. Maksim Nedasekau took the bronze medal.

Both athletes ended with jumps of 2.37 meters and with neither having committed any fouls, there was nothing that could separate them. There was an option of a tiebreaker but the athletes decided to share the gold as they were friends. The two athletes not only made their countries proud and happy but also the whole of humankind.

It was the first time since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, that a gold medal was shared. Two athletes share an Olympic gold medal after 109 years. A video of Barshim and Tamberi opting to share the gold instead of a jump-off as a tiebreaker.

In the video: an Olympics official explained to the pair on the track, “We can continue with the jump-off,” but Barshim was quick with his response, “Can we have two golds?”. The official then said “it’s possible” and the two athletes embraced and started celebrating, recognising that they had made history.