Gianmarco Tamberi is unstoppable: he’s the European champion once again. Bronze for Sioli

He entered the competition as an underdog, and Gianmarco Tamberi pulled off a remarkable feat: the Italian athlete won his fourth continental gold medal in the high jump, taking first place in the final of the European Athletics Championships currently underway in Birmingham.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, who had been underwhelming throughout the first part of the season, rose to the occasion when it mattered most—as the seasoned champion he is—and managed to clear 2.32 (his season’s best had been just 2.23), catching his opponents off guard.

Silver went to Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk with a jump of 2.30. Applause for 20-year-old Matteo Sioli from Lombardy, who took bronze with a jump of 2.27: the Italian athlete had to stop at that height due to a thigh muscle injury, which prevented him from continuing.

For Tamberi, this marks his fourth continental gold medal of his career, following victories in the 2016, 2022, and 2024 editions. It’s been an extraordinary comeback for Gimbo, who had made his intentions clear before the competition: “Physically, I’m in better shape than I’ve been in the last two years. Even my knee—which has caused me so much trouble in the past—has healed: I haven’t had an injection since July 2024.”

There was also a sense of satisfaction mixed with a bit of regret for the unlucky Matteo Sioli, who, despite his physical issue, once again proved himself to be a true talent. The 20-year-old from Milan had already made a name for himself at the World Championships in Tokyo in September 2025, where he finished eighth with a jump of 2.24 on his second attempt, before clearing 2.28 in his all-time debut at the world championships.

The Italian team’s evening in Birmingham was further highlighted by Nadia Battocletti’s second consecutive gold medal; she triumphed in the 10,000 meters with a time of 31:41.17, having already won the European title in the 5,000 meters. For the middle-distance runner from Trentino, this marks her fourth continental gold medal of her career, capping off an extraordinary season that had already given Italy its first gold medal in women’s middle-distance running at an Indoor World Championships, with her victory in the 3,000 meters at the World Championships in Torun, Poland, last March.