The honor of a lifetime quickly became a nightmare for Italy's high jumper
Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi is known for his theatrics when competing. Most recently, he showed up to the European Athletics Championships with a beard perfectly covering half of his face. Then after his gold medal-winning jump, he took off his shoe and poured dozens of tiny springs out it in a celebration way more apt for the NFL.
He’s truly among the most entertaining athletes in any Olympic sport and was given the honor of serving as Italy’s flag-bearer when the delegation sailed down the Seine during the Opening Ceremony.
That quickly turned into a nightmare. While stationed at the front of Italy’s boat during the rain-soaked event, Tamberi said his wedding band slid off his finger, bounced off the boat and went right into the water.
But leave it to Tamberi to use the horrific gaffe as an excuse to proclaim his love for his wife, Chiara Bontempi Tamberi, all over again.
“If it really had to happen, if I really had to lose it, I couldn’t imagine a better place,” Tamberi wrote on Instagram. “It will remain forever in the riverbed of the City of Love.”
Tamberi also invited his wife to throw her ring in the river as well, so they would lie there together forever. And for a final touch he said this may be a perfect time to renew their vows and throw a second wedding.
Maybe they could even do it in Paris — just not near any bodies of water.
