A thrilling race of high jump in Tokyo Olympics 2020 results in two gold medal winners. Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar have mutually accepted first place on Sunday night in the event of high jump sharing an emotional moment.

This is one of the rarest scenarios from over the years where the two athletes jumped off the barriers to be declared a tie in the endgame. Both high jumpers were perfect until the bar was set to the Olympic-record height of 2.39 meters (7 feet, 10 inches). Each failed three times.

“After my injuries, I just wanted to come back, but now I have this gold, it's incredible. I dreamed of this so many times”. "I was told in 2016 just before Rio, there was a risk I wouldn't be able to compete anymore. It's been a long journey”, said Tamberi while talking to CNN. 

“For me, coming here, I know for a fact that for the performance I did, I deserve that gold,” Barshim said.

The sportsmen's spirit shown by the athletes has given a rise to looking at Olympics with a whole new vision. Tamberi and Barshim cheered each other before running to celebrate with their coaches and teammates and hoisting their nation's flags above their heads.

Barshim can add the gold medal to his back to his rack of world titles, as he takes home the second Olympic gold medal after weightlifter Fares Elbakh won the first on Saturday in the men's 96kg event.

Barshim and Tamberi have been friends for more than 10 years now, after competing against each other at the world junior championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, in 2010. Barshim begged the title at that event, and Tamberi faced a hard time qualifying for the finals. But they soon became friends, hanging out before, after, and certainly during a variety of international competitions.

American Fred Kerley won silver and Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus had to settle for bronze as he took quite more chances than the other two but also cleared 2.37m.

Image Source: USA Today