Gianmarco Tamberi has just entered the track at the Stade de France, alongside the other high jump finalists, warming up for the race starting at 7 pm. The Italian athlete, in his blue Italy suit with a hood on, went under the stands where many Italian fans were, greeted them, bowed to the ovations, and then began to run and jump to warm up.
From the colic in the early hours of the most anticipated day, to the bus ride to the Stade de France. In Paris 20204, it’s T-day, the minute-by-minute narration of a champion’s pain, Tamberi, who dreams of a second gold in the high jump and screams his nightmare to the world.
Live on social media. It all begins at 5 in the morning, when Gianmarco Tamberi experiences a second bout of kidney colic after the one that forced him to postpone his departure to Paris a week ago. The pains are excruciating; five hours later, at 10:20, perhaps in the first moment of respite, Gimbo posts an old photo of himself, head down, causing dismay in the Italian delegation to the Games and all those following from Italy.
“It’s all over,” he writes, announcing the new illness, and the first thought is resignation. But here, Tamberi surprises everyone. “I’m speechless, I’m really sorry to death. Will I step onto the track this evening? Yes, but I really don’t know how I’ll be able to jump in these conditions…”.
To jump or not to jump? Maybe just a stroll, to say goodbye. All that’s left is to wait for 7 pm, the appointment with the Stade de France and the high jump final. But another five hours pass, and the door to the thrilling script is reopened by his wife Chiara Bontempi, by his side: “Many of you are calling to find out, the situation is this. We’re in the hospital,” she writes at 3:20 pm, with a photo of Tamberi’s arm hooked up to an IV.
Meanwhile, the president of the Italian Athletics Federation, Stefano Mei, reiterates, that Tamberi wants to compete but is under medical supervision, because taking risks is out of the question. And the new desperate cry of the Olympian arrives, of course via Instagram, only 20 minutes after Chiara. “(Even what was my last certainty is about to vanish… I’ve just been taken to the emergency room in an ambulance after vomiting blood twice.” The photo is taken in the ambulance, by Gimbo himself, one hand on the phone for the picture and the other holding Chiara’s hand (the writing, obviously, comes after). In short, is it over? Just over an hour later, and while the Italian Athletics Federation announces in an old-style statement that medical exams show no “absolute impediment” to participating in the race, Tamberi takes the final selfie: “I will be there.” It’s 5:01 pm. Hood on, dark look, accreditation around his neck. And it’s not necessarily the end.
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