Gianmarco Tamberi. There will be very few athletes like him, with the ability to put on a show weaved into his DNA and the showmanship he possesses capturing people’s hearts.
But here are 10 things you might not know about the Italian...
High jump’s in the family
High jumping really is in his blood as his dad, Marco Tamberi, was a high jumper himself and even held the Italian record at one point.
His dad was also his coach for many years and the European champion still credits his father as a big part of his athletic journey.
Setting the standard
Tamberi won his first European title in 2016, and in 2022 became the first male high jumper to win the title twice.
Then in 2024 he became the first to win back-to-back, let alone in 2026 where he defended his title yet again.
European high jump history
His incredible win at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships with his best jump of 2.32m also made him the first European high jumper, male or female, to win the title four times.
The women’s event has seen two women win the European title three times, Ruth Beitia and Yaroslava Mahuchikh, but Tamberi won the race to four titles.
Italian legend
As if Tamberi wasn’t loved and adorned enough already by Italy, he became the first Italian to win four golds in a single event on that night in Birmingham.
But in the same evening, Nadia Battocletti also won her fourth European Athletics Championships gold medal with a win in the 10,000m after also winning the 5000m a few days earlier.
A beautiful destiny
That fourth gold was a monumental part of Tamberi’s career, with it he shattered records, but it was also an extra special moment for him personally.
He took the win on his daughter, Camilla’s, first birthday and celebrated by singing happy birthday to her along with the packed stadium.
Before high jump there was…
As a young kid he loved to play basketball before also falling in love with high jump and becoming the athlete we know now.
However his passion for basketball hasn’t faded, and he has even played in two NBA All-Star Celebrity games, most recently in the 2024 game.
Origins of the half shave
Tamberi’s signature half shave is a staple of a championships, but it’s origins date all the way back to 2011 when Tamberi was just 19-years-old.
It’s all part of his preparation, and as Tamberi said in 2015 he “like’s to be on stage and entertain the audience.”
Bib, spikes, and… socks
While Tamberi’s iconic facial hair has received much attention over the years, he is also rarely seen competing without donning some fun socks.
There’s not one part of Tamberi not made for the stage, even his socks are ready for the spotlight and he even now has his own personalised half shave socks.
Lost wedding ring
In 2024 Tamberi would return to the Olympics after taking gold alongside Mutaz Barshim in an iconic moment in Tokyo in 2021.
But while being the flag bearer for Italy, he lost his wedding ring as it fell into the River Siene and issued a public apology to his wife, suggesting she too should throw hers into the river.
“If it had to happen, if I had to lose this ring, I couldn't imagine a better place," he wrote online, stating the ring will now "remain forever in the riverbed of the city of love".
Hospitalised days before Olympics
As if that wasn’t enough drama at the Paris 2024 Olympics, just days before he was due to compete Tamberi had been taken to hospital.
He explained online that he had a CT scan, ultrasound, and blood test and it seemed he had a kidney stone causing an infection.
Though he still went on to compete and jumped 2.22m to place 11th in the final.