Diamond League, Tamberi fights but is 4th with 2.28: “I’m exhausted”

We saw the last Tamberi of 2023, reasonably. In the legendary Letzigrund of Zurich, for the eleventh stage of the Diamond League, an exhausted and defeated, but smiling Gimbo wandered around yesterday evening. It’s the effect of the world gold that doesn’t want to go away: “Honestly? I was afraid of making a fool of myself. I’ve been having a terrible time sleeping for days, because when you realize such a big dream, when you’ve made so many sacrifices and keep the pleasure of what you have achieved, finding motivation in so few days is really complicated, the nervous system is underground and I’m surprised I managed to come up with something”. For the record, that of the new high jump world champion is a fourth place at 2.28 and a close 2.31 in the race dominated by his “brother” Mutaz Barshim (2.35) on the Australian Kerr (2.33) and the South Korean Woo (2.31): all three did better than the world championship final. “Funny, for me it really matters to know how to ‘perform’ at the right moment and you don’t learn this. Or you have it inside…”. It is proof that Tamberi is already thinking about 2024.

At the limit

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“I had just arrived from a very busy week – he adds -: I would have even wanted to celebrate much more, but I didn’t find the energy. I had a nervous breakdown, I had arrived in Budapest in such a rush that everything I had built collapsed on me. I’m dull. Obviously he moved a lot: I think of the interviews, things to do, friends and loved ones that I hadn’t seen for a long time and I tried, to give something back. I also tried to rest, but almost always with the eyes open. Even this afternoon (yesterday, ed) I repeated to myself ‘I can’t compete’, but then I watched a few videos of the old jumps that usually stimulate me and it worked”. The show was not lacking as always, all around the coach Giulio Ciotti, his wife Chiara and the trainer Michele Palloni the ‘curva Tamberi’ was soon formed, in the end repaid generously with selfies and autographs.

Future

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“If nothing else, the evening was used to try out the new shoes, those of next year. In the right foot, the racing foot, I wore one of those models with a carbon plate that already give many advantages in other disciplines. We have to understand if it can be a possibility – concludes the blue – in the meantime we have collected some useful data.Now, however, I’m really struggling, my body is tired, I’ve taken it to the limit several times in recent years and it’s right to respect it “Next year is very important and I don’t want to be silly. After the World Cup, I wouldn’t even have come here if I hadn’t given my word beforehand.” The chances of seeing Tamberi on the platform on Monday in Bellinzona at this point are very slim. “It will depend on how I wake up tomorrow (this morning, ed). Right now it’s more no than yes, I already have the Paris Games in mind”.

Wet powders

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Without the extra motivation of the Diamond League Finals (September 16-17 in Eugene), the cold night in Zurich doesn’t offer outstanding performances. The first fall in five participations in the Swiss meeting of the Norwegian Viking Warholm makes noise, defeated in his 400 hurdles by McMaster himself, the giant from the Virgin Islands who had beaten him here in 2018. The 1500 hurdles champion Kerr (from the American Nuguse ) and that of the javelin Chopra, surpassed by the Czech Vaddlejch. On the other hand, the three-time world champion Lyles in the 200m, the world record holder Duplantis (three failed attempts at the world record: 6.23), the Greek Tentoglou in the long and, for women, the queen of the 100m Richardson confirm the successes of Budapest , the Venezuelan Rojas in the triple, the Bahraini standard-bearer Yavi in ​​the 3000 steeplechase and the Jamaican Williams in the 100 hurdles.

Other blues

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Fatigue also wins in the other five blues in the race. He goes better than Davide Re, second out of the 400m in 45 ”49 behind the Norwegian Ingvaldsen. Lorenzo Simonelli, 5th in the 110 hurdles in 13”60, touches the last barrier and loses his balance, slowing down on the finish line. In the long run, the 18-year-old Mattia Furlani is the same seen in Budapest, now in a waning phase: 7.53. Finally, in the triple, the two world finalists Derkach and Cestonaro close close with the seventh and eighth measure: 14.18 and 14.11.