Lausanne Diamond League 2021: Ilya Ivanyuk wins high jump, Olympic gold medallist Gianmarco Tamberi flops

Ilya Ivanyuk of Belarus won the Lausanne Diamond League high jump competition on Wednesday. Olympic gold medallist and Italian Gianmarco Tamberi, one of the favorites to win the event, could only manage a fifth-place finish.

Ilya Ivanyuk leaped 2.30m to grab the gold medal. America's Shelby McEwen and Ukraine’s Andriy Protsenko completed the podium. They both cleared the 2.27m-mark.

The high jump event was staged at the Lausanne Center on the eve of the Athletissima 2021 Diamond League meeting. The Lausanne Diamond League will be held at the Stade Olympic de la Pontaise.

Ilya Ivanyuk is the only man to go clear over 2.30m and takes the win at @athletissima!And now he has asked the bar to be raised to 2.38m 💪🤩#LausanneDL 🇨🇭 #DiamondLeague 📸 @matthewquine pic.twitter.com/5w9A4kMqoU

— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) August 25, 2021

Ilya Ivanyuk steals the show from Gianmarco Tamberi

All eyes were understandably on Gianmarco Tamberi but it was Ilya Ivanyuk who stole the limelight.

Although Gianmarco Tamberi started with a 2.24m leap, the jump wasn’t convincing. The rattle of the bar at 2.24m wasn’t the way Gianmarco Tamberi was expecting to compete.

The 29-year-old Italian then dislodged the bar at 2.27m and drew a blank at 2.30m as Ilya Ivanyuk remained the only jumper to hit the 2.30m mark.

Although Ilya Ivanyuk drew a blank at 2.38m, the 2.30m clearance was enough for the athlete to seal the win.

Gianmarco Tamberi’s expression then said it all. He lay down in the sunken infield area with his face buried in his tracksuit top.

The Italian finished fifth, ahead of Switzerland’s Loic Gasch (2.24m) and 2007 world champion Donald Thomas of the Bahamas (seventh with 2.16m).

Gianmarco Tamberi was understandably devastated. The high jumper, in the mixed zone area, said the focus will now be on Zurich. Gianmarco Tamberi expressed:

“It’s difficult when you win a gold medal after five years of trying. I will be back and I promise to jump higher next time. After the Games and winning gold, I am still getting used to my win and I couldn't sleep for a few nights. I now have to get back into focus to jump higher again in Zurich. I am not going to set a limit and a height objective. For me, anything is possible."

Ilya Ivanyuk said the track was bouncy and it helped him jump well. He added:

“At 2.38m, I had a good first jump but on the second and third I had a problem when my socks slipped away. Maybe at my next competition, in Zurich, I can jump a personal best. My goal this season was the Olympic Games. I jumped really well. The other guys were just much better.”