Paris 2024 athletics: All results, as New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr claims men’s high jump in dramatic jump-off
For a second straight Olympic Games, the men’s high jump came down to the wire.
After the shared gold medal seen around the world at Tokyo 2020, New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr and Shelby McEwen of Team USA were tied at the conclusion of the event at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at 2.38m - but opted for a jump-off.
It took three rounds of extra jumps, but it was the 27-year-old Kerr who would clear first, at 2.34m, to claim the Olympic gold - marking a first-ever win for his nation in this event... or medal of any colour.
The American McEwen finished with the silver, a first for the U.S. in high jump since London 2012, when Erik Kynard claimed gold.
The top two finishers had cleared 2.36m in the final, but were tied on number of misses leading up to that height, meaning they would head into said jump-off.
“I am just in shock,” Kerr said after his victory, adding about the jump-off: “We were getting a little bit tired after all the jumps we took, but I knew I had a good one in me.”
It was a bittersweet moment for McEwen, who had clearly made his feeling known as the final wrapped up: He wanted to go for a jump-off for the gold medal.
Reigning co-Olympic champion, Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, claimed the bronze medal. His podium effort gave him a fourth consecutive Olympic medal dating back to London 2012, making him the most decorated high jumper in Olympic history.
Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, the other reigning champion, finished in 11th. Tamberi had dealt with health issues in the lead-up to and during his Paris stay, leaving his appearance in the final in doubt.
Hamish Kerr: ‘High jump’s always a roller coaster’
The night began in disappointment for Tamberi, who needed a third attempt on his opening height of 2.22m to stay in the competition. The Italian, who shared on social media he had to be taken to hospital Saturday morning due to illness, couldn’t get past 2.27m.
Only four men would make it to the 2.36m mark, with Kerr, McEwen and Barshim joined by another Italian, Stefano Sottile.
From there, the event came down to just Kerr and McEwen, extending well into the final races of the night, the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays.
McEwen would go first in the jump-off, but both men failed their first two attempts at 2.38 and 2.36m. At 2.34, McEwen couldn’t believe it when his leg tapped the bar, sending it crashing down.
It was Kerr who stepped up then, going over details with coach James Sandilands, whom he had only joined forces with in the past eight months. As he cleared the final bar, Kerr bounced off the mat and ran into the infield, with the Stade de France exploding in applause around him.
“If anything, I’m more fatigued from running on to the field than I am from the actual jumping,” he said jokingly later. “But I was so just happy that I’d won.”
He added: “High jump’s always a roller coaster, there’s always guys who will miss and then clear, and then miss.
“The big thing that we’ve been working on personally is it’s not over until it’s over,” Kerr said. “In the past, I probably got into the habit of watching those guys a little bit, whereas now I wouldn’t even know what’s going on, I just focus on myself.”
Paris 2024 athletics: Men’s high jump podium
Gold: Hamish Kerr, New Zealand
Silver: Shelby McEwen, USA
Bronze: Mutaz Essa Bashim, Qatar
Discover all the Paris 2024 results on Olympics.com.