Who is Gianmarco Tamberi, gold in the high jump in Tokyo 2020

Born in 1992, Gianmarco Tamberi won the gold medal in the high jump in Tokyo 2020. Born in Civitanova Marche (Macerata) on 1 June, in the sports group of the Fiamme Oro Padova, he lives in Ancona, not far from the training ground , after growing up in the nearby medieval village of Offagna. The example of father Marco, one of the best Italian specialists of the past (finalist at the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980) – we read on the Fidal website – was partly felt but the great passion of the young ‘Gimbo’, as it is it has always been called basketball, a sport practiced for a long time as a guard in the Stamura Ancona. Read also From the spring of 2009 he started seriously with athletics and earned the call-up to the World Championships, then in 2011 he won the bronze medal at the European juniors. The exploit took place in 2012 with the qualification for the European Championships in Helsinki where he finished fifth, followed by the victory in the Absolutes with the Olympic minimum of 2.31, a new Italian record under 23, a measure that allowed him to participate in the London Games. . In the summer of 2015 a further leap in quality with the absolute Italian record equaled in Cologne with 2.34 and improved in Eberstadt (also in Germany) twice, at 2.35 and 2.37. In the 2016 indoor season, two other Italian records: 2.35 in Banska Bystrica (Slovakia) and 2.38 in Hustopece (Czech Republic). At the Indoor World Championships in Portland 2016 he won the world title overturning with 2.36 at the first test the outcome of a final that up to that moment risked seeing him off the podium. It was 13 years (Giuseppe Gibilisco at the auction in Paris 2003) that a blue had not won gold at the World Cup, and no Italian had ever succeeded in the high jump. Then the success at the European Championships in Amsterdam and the national record of 2.39 at the Monte Carlo meeting where, however, he injured his ankle trying 2.41, having to give up the Rio Games. In the summer of 2018 he returned to 2.33 and in March 2019, two years and seven months after his injury, he climbed the top step at the Indoor European Championships in Glasgow. In the 2021 indoor season he returned to 2.34 and then to 2.35, European silver in the room. Before major competitions he usually shaves in half, only on the right side of the face, hence the nickname ‘Halfshave’. Passionate about music, Gianmarco played drums in the group ‘The Dark Melody’ with a classic Seventies rock repertoire. He is enrolled in the Faculty of Economics.