Gianmarco Tamberi clears 2.31 metres to win Diamond League high jump in Katowice

City square competition in Katowice

Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi secured first place at the Diamond League street exhibition in Katowice, Poland, clearing 2.31 metres on his final attempt. The street event served as the city-centre prologue to the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, the thirteenth stop of the Diamond League series ahead of the circuit finals in Brussels. The competition also brought together high-profile rivals including Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim, with whom Tamberi shared Olympic gold in Tokyo. Tamberi entered the competition eight days after winning his fourth European championship title in Birmingham, where he cleared 2.32 metres. The victory marks his first win in the Diamond League circuit following a two-year gap without a stage victory.

Speaking immediately after the event, Tamberi reflected on following up his European gold with another top finish.

It was very important to have confirmation.

Progression through the heights

Tamberi began his contest at 2.20 metres, entering as the sole competitor at that mark and clearing it on his first jump before also making 2.23 metres on his initial attempt. The 34-year-old required two attempts to pass 2.26 metres, where United States jumper JuVaughn Harrison and Poland's Mateusz Kolodziejski bowed out with shared third-place finishes. Jamaican jumper Romaine Beckford took the provisional lead by clearing 2.29 metres on his third jump. Tamberi answered under pressure, clearing 2.29 metres on his third attempt to stay level. At 2.31 metres, Beckford failed all three attempts, while Tamberi cleared the bar on his third try to seal the victory.

After confirming first place, Tamberi raised the bar to 2.35 metres in an attempt to surpass the world-leading mark held by Harrison. Rain started falling during the attempts, and after two misses, Tamberi was unable to clear the height.

It is just a pity about the rain, which arrived when I missed the second attempt at 2.35. I went very close, I believed I could do it, but then I started to fear getting hurt. It will be for next time.

Field results and future schedule

The Katowice square also hosted other field events that produced meeting records. In the women's shot put, Chase Jackson of the United States won with a meeting record throw of 20.92 metres. In the women's long jump, Alyssa Jones took first place with a meeting record leap of 6.98 metres (+1.5 m/s wind), edging out Portugal's Evelise Veiga de Sousa on countback after both athletes recorded identical 6.98-metre bests, with Jones posting a superior second mark of 6.85 metres to 6.81 metres.

The main stadium programme takes place on 23 August at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzow, dedicated to Sydney 2000 Olympic hammer champion Kamila Skolimowska, who died at age 26 from a pulmonary embolism. The meeting will feature Italian athletes Nadia Battocletti in the 5,000 metres, Dariya Derkach in the triple jump, Leonardo Fabbri in the shot put, and Sara Fantini in the hammer throw. Tamberi next competes at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto on Tuesday, 1 September, before the Diamond League finals in Brussels on 4 and 5 September.