TOKYO — Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy had dreamed and talked about this moment for so long, both separately and together: The Olympic final in the men’s high jump. A gold medal on the line. Triumph and redemption at their fingertips. And then, when the moment arrived Sunday, it came with a beautiful wrinkle, something neither of them could have ever envisioned. When Barshim and Tamberi failed to clear the last height, they were left with a choice, the byproduct of a strange exclusion in a 135-page rulebook: They could have a jump-off for gold, or share it. The official hadn’t even finished explaining the rule when Barshim interjected. “Can we have two golds? ” he asked. The two men didn’t say anything. They didn’t need to. “I looked at him, he looked at me, we understand, ” Barshim said later. They would share Olympic gold.”We just enjoyed the moment, ” Tamberi said, “because we wanted it so much. “And so, in an unusual twist, there are two gold medalists in the men’s high jump at the Tokyo Olympics: Qatar’s Barshim and Italy’s Tamberi, each of whom cleared 7 feet, 9 1/4 inches. Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus finished third and said in a news conference early Monday morning that he did not know whether he would receive a silver or a bronze. It appeared to be a wonderful Olympic moment, a classic example of sportsmanship — though there is much, much more to the story than that. Barshim and Tamberi have been friends for more than a decade now, after meeting at the world junior championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, in 2010. Barshim won the title at that event, and Tamberi failed to even qualify for the final. But they soon became fast friends, hanging out before, after and certainly during a variety of international competitions.”Big friend, ” said Tamberi, 29. “In the track, we are opponents, but still supporting each other. We want to win, we want to beat each other — but still, we know how hard it is to do this sport, how many sacrifices you have to do. “They were always friends, but in recent years, they’ve also been each other’s support system. In 2016, Tamberi was gearing up for the Rio Olympics when he tore a ligament in his ankle. He said he watched the high jump final that year from the stands, with crutches at his side and tears in his eyes. A doctor told him that he might not be able to compete again, he added. Then, two years later, Barshim suffered a similar injury, also to his left ankle. Tamberi helped him get through it.”The injury was so bad that we couldn’t actually imagine coming back to jump, ” said Barshim, 30. “… Mentally, physically, what we’ve been through — he knows, I know, it takes so much. “In field events like the high jump, competitors typically spend a lot of time together. It is normal for friendships to emerge. But for Barshim and Tamberi, it’s deeper. Tamberi was at Barshim’s wedding, and said Barshim will be at his.

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