"I just imagine him preparing these pranks, buying springs"-Fans react to Olympic Champion Gianmarco Tamberi celebrating win at European Championships

Italy's Olympic Champion Gianmarco Tamberi has always been quite the showman, and he recently played a prank on the audience present at the European Athletics Championships. After clearing a title-winning 2.31m, the defending champion fell to the floor seemingly in agony, only to pull out springs from his shoes in a hilarious display.

Tamberi, already a two-time European Champion, was one of the most anticipated athletes in this competition as he was competing on home ground in Rome. A favorite for the win, this was the 32-year-old’s first competition since September 2023.

After a slow start in the finals, which saw him stumble twice at the 2.29m mark, Gianmarco Tamberi soon found his rhythm. He cleared a height of 2.31m on his first attempt to win gold ahead of Ukraine’s Vladyslav Lavskyy. However, after this 2.31m jump, the Italian gave fans the shock of a lifetime when he fell to the floor clutching his ankle, only to remove a spring from his shoes to show off how high he jumped.

Reacting to this prank by the Italian, fans were left in splits on X (formerly Twitter), with one writing,

“I just imagine him preparing these pranks, buying springs, practicing the fake injury. Really funny guy.”

Another fan joked that Gianmarco Tamberi scared the all of Italy, writing,

“Sent the entire country into a heart attack.”

Here is how other fans reacted to Tamberi’s iconic prank at the European Athletics Championships,

“He is an evening show on his own,” one fan praised the Italian.

“This makes track and field fun!!! We need this from our American's besides Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley who do marvelous jobs of getting attention and I love it. Bring out their personalities makes us have a connection,” another fan expressed.

“Gianmarco Tamberi has all of Italy, including the President of Italy, celebrating with him. Tamberi is one of the finest entertainer/athletes in our sport,” a X user commented.

“How can you notttt love this man 😭😂,” yet another track and field enthusiast chimed in.

Gianmarco Tamberi on his outing at the European Athletics Championships

For Gianmarco Tamberi, this outing at the European Athletics Championships marked his season debut, and many fans were skeptical of him being able to return to the top on the first go.

Having ended his 2023 season in September, the Italian was originally supposed to open his year at the Ostrava Diamond League. His withdrawal from the event sparked concern amongst fans, but his performance in Rome proved the veteran is still one of the favorites for the gold in Paris.

“I knew I was in superb shape and I proved it. There were many doubts about me after withdrawing from Ostrava, but I knew I had trained well and I was in extraordinary form,” Tamberi told European Athletics after his wife.

“I was a bit shaky at 2.29m, but then the show began. I pretended to be injured and hid springs in my shoes! I think some people fell for it. I did great things: now it's time for the Olympics,” he went on to add.

Gianmarco Tamberi will head into the Paris Olympics as the defending Olympic and World Champion. The expectations will certainly be high for the 32-year-old and fans will wait to see if he can live up to the hype.