Lamont Marcell Jacobs won the most coveted crown in athletics on Sunday, giving Italy its first 100 metres gold on a night of high drama at the Tokyo Olympics.
Jacobs’ European record 9.80 second run ended Fred Kerley’s bid to become the first American winner since Justin Gatlin in 2004. Kerley took silver in a personal best 9.84, while Canada’s Andre de Grasse 9.89 earned him a bronze.
“I’ve won an Olympic gold after Bolt, it’s unbelievable,” said the sprinter, who was born in the United States but moved to Europe with his Italian mother when he was a month old.
Two athletics golds in the space of minutes
Gianmarco Tamberi made it double gold for Italy with an emotional, and unusual, high jump victory in a night to remember.
The 29-year-old shared the gold with Qatar’s world champion Mutaz Essa Barshim.
Tamberi, who broke his ankle days before the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, hugged everyone he could find on the track. Draped in an Italian flag, he was also the first to embrace Jacobs after his 100m win.
“This is a bit of history that will stay with me forever. I will tell my kids, if I have them. I will never sleep again,” he said.
Italy ended the day in the top 10 of the Olympics medal tally with four golds.
Gold in rowing and Taekwondo
Italy’s two other golds came in the women’s lightweight double sculls and the men’s -58kg Taekwondo.
Vito Dell’Aquila defeated Tunisia’s Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi to win the men’s taekwondo -58kg category gold medal. Just 20 year’s old, Dell’Aquila was in a thriller of a final. With just 15 seconds left the score was tied at 10—10. The Italian then let go a flurry of scores to take the gold medal.
Italy’s Valentina Rodini and Federica Cesarini win tight race to become women’s lightweight double sculls Olympic champions. The defending champions Netherlands came third.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Cesarini on winning Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020. “It is difficult to describe, but we wanted it, we searched for it and finally we have it.”
The race was a highly competitive one, with no crew dominating throughout.
Nine silver medals for Italy
Italy’s nine silver medals at the Tokyo Olympics (to date) went to the following athletes.
Mauro Nespoli, Archery – Men’s Individual
Vanessa Ferrari, Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s Floor Exercise
Daniele Garozzo, Fencing – Men’s Foil Individual
Luigi Samele, Fencing – Men’s Sabre Individual
Team Italy, Fencing – Men’s Sabre Team
Diana Bacosi, Shooting – Skeet Women
Team Italy, Swimming – Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay
Gregorio Paltrinieri, Swimming – Men’s 800m Freestyle
Giorgia Bordignon, Weightlifting – Women’s 64kg
15 bronzes
Italy’s fifteen bronzes have come in rowing, boxing, cycling, swimming, judo, fencing and weightlifting. There was also a bronze in archery – Italy’s first ever Olympic medal in the sport – which was won by Lucilla Boari.
