Drama follows flamboyant high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi, especially at major events, and the Paris Olympics were no exception. This time, it involved an unexpected underwater incident.
Tamberi, known for his theatrical flair, lost his wedding ring in the Seine River during the rainy opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. In an emotional Instagram post, Tamberi apologized to his wife of two years, Chiara Bontempi. “I’m sorry my love, I’m really, really sorry,” he wrote.
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Reflecting on the mishap, Tamberi cited “too much water, too many kilograms lost over the last few months and maybe the uncontrollable enthusiasm of what we were doing” as potential reasons for the ring slipping off his finger. He had been sharing flag-bearing duties for Italy with fencer Arianna Errigo during the ceremony, which featured a unique parade of athletes on boats instead of the traditional stadium procession.
Tamberi’s reputation for dramatic antics is well-known. At the European Championships last month, he pretended to hide springs in his shoes before jumping into the arms of Italy President Sergio Mattarella after winning gold. His wild celebration after sharing gold with his friend Mutaz Barshim at the Tokyo Games also drew significant attention.
Flying to Paris on the presidential plane with Mattarella, Tamberi described the journey as “the most emotional flight of my life,” playing on words related to his jumping “flights.”
During the ceremony, as Italy cruised down the Seine with athletes from Israel and Jamaica, Tamberi felt the ring sliding off his finger and saw it drop. “I followed it until I saw it bounce inside the boat,” he recounted. “But the rebound went in the wrong direction unfortunately. … But if it had to happen, if I really had to lose this ring, I couldn’t imagine a better place. It will remain forever on the riverbed in the City of Love.”
Looking ahead to the men’s high jump competition starting on August 7, Tamberi is favored to win another gold. “Hopefully this is a sign that I’ll come home with an even bigger gold medal,” he said.
In a romantic gesture, Tamberi invited his wife to throw her ring into the Seine as well. “Then they’ll be together forever,” he said, “and we’ll have another reason to renew our vows.”
