Il 2021st August XNUMX becomes a historic date for Italian sport. In less than 10 minutes, our country conquers two golds in athletics competitions at the Tokyo Olympics: the first in the high jump with Gianmarco Tamberi, the second in the 100 meters with Lamont Marcell Jacobs.
To open the dances is the jumper from the Marches, able to overcome without even a mistake measures increasing up to 2,37 meters. From then on, the blue and his direct opponent - the Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim - failed three consecutive times the measurement of 2,39. At that point, it would be possible to conclude the race with a play-off, but the two athletes agree on a tie: two golds and no silver will be awarded on the podium.
Tamberi's joy was irrepressible, which he had to give up the Rio 2016 games due to a ankle injury serious enough to make him think about quitting. Instead, with time Gimbo recovered, he came back great, and in the Japanese stadium he really pulled off chalk worn after ligament injury five years ago.
“I dreamed of this day for a long time – Tamberi's words – After the injury I cried for a long time, I got myself written on chalk Road to Tokyo and I said, let's try it. It was a dream that I had had for a long time and that we all realized together”.
Not even the time to cheer for the high jump before the cameras move on the straight line of the athletics track: there is the final of the finals, that of the 100 meters. For the first time in the history of the Olympics, the last act of this specialty sees an Italian in the starting blocks. It is Lamont Marcell Jacobs, born in El Paso to a Texan father and an Italian mother, but very Italian by education and by language (many make fun of him for his difficulties with English).
It would be enough for him to participate in the race to enter the history of Italian sport, but Jacobs does more: he wins the gold medal running the 100 meters in 9,8 seconds (same time as Usain Bolt in 2016). After the finish line, Marcell brakes but doesn't stop, he keeps running until he hugs Tamberi, who looks at him in disbelief and asks: "What did you do?".
The silver goes to the American Kerley (9,84) and the bronze to the Canadian De Grasse (9,89).
“It's a dream, it will take me a week to realize – Jacobs commented hotly – I felt better than the semifinal and I told myself I had nothing to lose. Winning at the Olympics pays off for the many beatings taken in the past".
