Tamberi victorious in Diamond League high jump battle

Italian Gianmarco Tamberi cleared 2.31m to win the Silesia Diamond League high jump in Katowice’s market square in Poland on Saturday, with the 34-year-old continuing his fine form after clinching a fourth European gold medal.

Former Olympic champion Tamberi was locked in a battle with Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford after both cleared 2.29 at the third attempt.

When Beckford failed his final effort after the bar was raised 2cm, Tamberi had sealed the win with one fewer error before clearing his final jump at 2.31.

Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi competes during the men’s high jump final in the Silesia Diamond League in Chorzow, Poland, on Saturday.

Photo: Reuters

Tamberi took several different approaches to his jumps, sometimes urging the crowd to clap along, at other times preferring silence, and when the Italian went with music, it ranged from classical to techno.

“The secret is to get motivated from everything,” Tamberi told TVP Sports.

“It was incredible, this kind of synergy, I felt that I could do anything,” he said. “I felt that I could jump very high, as usual, because this is probably my fifth time here, in Katowice, and it’s always like this. I thank the Polish fans for such an atmosphere.”

Tamberi, who jumped a season’s best of 2.32 to win European gold, continued to delight the crowd as he attempted 2.35, but with the rain beginning to fall on the city’s main square, he was unable to clear the bar in his three jumps.

“Unfortunately, it started to rain at the wrong time,” Tamberi added. “It got a bit slippery and I was afraid of getting injured, so I made a few mistakes.”