There was a feverish flag-waving during the boat parade on the Seine during Friday's Olympic opening ceremony. Italy's wild high-jump star and flag-bearer Gianmarco Tamberi was one of them – and it cost him dearly.
Tamberi happened to drop his wedding ring into the river when he enthusiastically waved the large Italian flag.
The day after, he apologized to his wife Chiara in a long post on Instagram and blamed, among other things, an uncontrollable enthusiasm and the kilos he had lost during hard training before the Olympics.
"Sorry darling, I'm really sorry", writes Tamberi and continues:
"I saw it fly, followed it with my gaze and saw it bounce on the boat. A glimpse of hope, but unfortunately it bounced in the wrong direction."
Tamberi is one of the big profiles in athletics. In the Tokyo Olympics, he shared the gold with Qatari Mutaz Barshim. During major championships, he has a habit of competing with a full beard until the final – then he shaves half his face.
