OLYMPIC high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi was rushed to hospital hours before he bids to defend his title this evening.
It’s the second time the Italian, 32, was taken to the emergency room in Paris after coughing up blood with a kidney problem.
His preparations for the 2024 Olympics were thrown into chaos as an excruciating pain in his side saw him admitted to hospital last Sunday.
And now Tamberi has been re-evaluated by paramedics again after suffering with acute renal colic.
But in extraordinary circumstances, the Italy star has vowed to “be there” in the high-jump final that kicks off tonight at 1800 BST.
This means he has travelled back from hospital just THREE HOURS before the event begins at the Stade de France.
In his third Instagram post of the day, he stated: “I will be there.”
He previously wrote: “It’s all over. Last night at 5am I woke up because of the same excruciating pain as a few days ago.
“Five hours have passed and the pain still hasn’t gone away. I’m speechless, I’m truly sorry to death.
“Will I still go on the platform tonight? Yes, but I really don’t know how I’ll be able to jump in these conditions.”
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He confirmed that the discomfort was caused by renal colic, which occurs when a kidney stone blocks the tube connecting the kidneys to the bladder.
Tamberi had only been released a few days prior to the high jump qualifying, where he failed his three attempts at 2.27 metres.
Despite this, he still managed to finish among the top 12 to qualify for the final.
He has since posted again on Instagram, writing: “It’s been 10 hours and the renal colic still hasn’t gone away.
“Even what was my last certainty (of competing) is about to vanish.I was just taken to the emergency room by ambulance after vomiting blood twice. I’ll update you all.
“I dreamed for this day except living a nightmare like this.”
Tamberi made history in Tokyo 2020 when he and Qatari athlete Barshim shared gold in high-jump.
The pair warmed the hearts of viewers after they learned that they could both be crowned champions.
At Tokyo 2020, high jumpers Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim, who shared an epic gold medal, will face each other today at #Paris2024
— Global Sports News (@xForSports) August 7, 2024#Olympics pic.twitter.com/Y1D1KcSWe0
But it is fair to say that Tamberi has been a victim of horrible luck during his summer in the French capital.
While he was honoured to be on flag bearing duties for Italy, he lost his wedding ring in the River Seine during the opening ceremony.
The 32-year-old issued a grovelling apology to his wife Chiara Bontempi Tamberi for dropping his martial band in the murky river.
At the time, he wrote on Instagram: “I’m sorry my love. Too much water, too many kilos lost in the last few months or maybe the irrepressible enthusiasm of what we were doing.”
