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Gianmarco Tamberi figured he had some explaining to do.
The high jumper – who won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games – was the flag bearer for Italy during Friday’s opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics. However, representing his country didn’t result in celebration afterward. During the proceedings, Tamberi lost his wedding ring which fell off his finger into the River Seine.
Rather than offer a sheepish apology and explanation, Tamberi posted a lengthy message to his wife on social media beginning with “I’m sorry, my love, I’m so sorry.” The missive accompanied pictures of their wedding day, him waving the flag with the Italian delegation and a hilarious mock-up of him as Frodo from “Lord of the Rings” losing the famed One Ring.
“Too much water, too many kilos lost in the last few months or perhaps the uncontainable enthusiasm of what we were doing,” Tamberi wrote. “Probably all three things, the fact remains that I heard it slip away, I saw it fly… I followed it with my eyes until I saw it bounce inside the boat. A glimmer of hope…”
“But unfortunately, the bounce was in the wrong direction,” he added, “and… I saw it dive into the water as if that was the only place it wanted to be.”
Tamberi continued to frame the accident as romantically as possible, going on to suggest that his wife also toss her ring into the Seine “so they’ll be together forever.” And after the Paris Games, perhaps the two could renew their vows
Credit to Tamberi for a grand gesture and an attempt to turn a painful development into a prosperous one. This is a story that hopefully gets some follow-up during these Olympics or after the Paris Games finish. The men’s high jump competition begins on Aug. 7.
