SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — First they put the bar up higher. Then they lowered it.
Wherever they put the bar, American Shelby McEwen and world indoor champion Hamish Kerr of New Zealand couldn’t clear it in an interminable jump-off for the high jump title at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
It was Kerr who finally broke the streak of failures when he got over 2.34 meters to take the gold after 11 straight misses in regulation and the jump-off between the two of them. There were so many misses that there wasn’t enough room on the scoreboard for all the Xs.
McEwen was left with the silver, with both he and Kerr having cleared 2.36 in regulation.
The competitors could have chosen to tie and both would have received a gold medal, which is exactly what happened at the Tokyo Olympics between Mutaz Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy.
“To do it the way I did it was just amazing,” Kerr said. “It was crazy.”
Barshim took the bronze Saturday at 2.34. Tamberi was eliminated early on.
“I have so much respect for what they did in Tokyo. But I always thought that to add to the story and to be able to be given the chance to actually do the jump-off would be so amazing,” Kerr said. “I knew straight away that we were going to make history and we did that.”
Kerr celebrated by running around the field in the center of the Stade de France deliriously. When he came back to the high jump area, Kerr was congratulated by the other competitors, including Tamberi and Barshim.
Both Kerr and McEewen didn’t clear 2.38 on all three of their attempts at regulation. Then they both missed at 2.38 in the first round of the jump-off, another two misses at 2.36 and McEwen missed at 2.34 before Kerr finally ended the first competition of the night only moments before the women’s 4×400 relay concluded the last event of track and field at Stade de France.
Earlier, Tamberi failed on all three of his attempts at 2.27 — only the second height of the competition. He covered his hands with his face in disappointment and then Barshim came over to console his good friend as both men wrapped their arms around each other.
Tamberi had been bothered by a series of physical issues over the last few days. He was hospitalized due to kidney stones and had a fever of 38.8 Celsius (101.8 Fahrenheit). But he vowed to compete no matter what.
When it was over, and Tamberi had finished 11th in the 12-man final, he went over and cried with his team in the stands.
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