TOKYO – Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim might not have know exactly what it meant to Gianmarco Tamberi when he asked if the high jumpers could share a gold medal instead of competing in a jump-off to break a tie.
They both agreed, and Tamberi not only took his first career Olympic gold, he earned a bonus of more than $100,000.
Italy has one of the more generous medal bonuses among those surveyed by USA TODAY Sports, giving its gold medalists 180,000 Euro, or roughly $213,000 – double what it gives its silver medalists. They’ll never know what might have happened in the jump-off, but the friends’ decision to share a spot atop the podium made a big impact on Tamberi.