On 1 August 2021, Matteo Sioli was “up in the mountains at my aunt’s place, in the Bergamo area, where we always go”. Gianmarco Tamberi was fighting for Olympic gold. “At first I was watching the competition from the car, then for the final attempts I ran home and watched Gimbo fly higher than everyone else. I remember that day as if it were yesterday.” Sixteen minutes that came to define an Olympics, the golden embrace with Marcell Jacobs a symbol of the Azzurri renaissance that summer. Before that, though, there had been another embrace that made history: the Italian high jumper and Mutaz Barshim, his Qatari friend, had agreed to share first place. “Unforgettable,” Sioli says with a smile, speaking to Undici. He was a teenager then. Last June, Matteo found himself facing the same Barshim at the Diamond League meeting in Doha. “The kid I was five years ago would never have imagined competing against champions like him. He was already an idol of mine, never mind what he’d done before the competition.” What did he do? “In the call room I was a little tense, I could feel the pressure. I didn’t even know Mutaz. He came over to introduce himself, put me at ease with his kindness, and then on the runway he showed himself to be a champion of fair play once again.”
It was almost the Tokyo scene all over again, only with Sioli in Tamberi’s place. The 20-year-old from Milan cleared 2.29 metres, exactly the same height as Barshim. This time, though, the Qatari made two more mistakes than his rival and, under the rules, finished second. Behind Sioli. “It was a beautiful feeling,” the winner says. “At first I didn’t really take it in. It took me a few days to understand that I really was up there, competing with the best in the world. At the end of the competition I asked Mutaz for his bib, as a sign of respect too. We’re talking about one of the greatest high jumpers in history, alongside Gimbo. I still don’t know where I’ll put it, but that keepsake needs to be framed somewhere. It may seem like a small thing, but it means an incredible amount to me. Even more than the medal.” A mark of respect that goes beyond any podium. “And Barshim himself, always with great class, came over to congratulate me. Not just on my performance, but on the whole development of the Italian high-jump school.”
That may be the most exciting part of the story. “Doha was another demonstration that we Azzurri can do a great deal in this sport,” Sioli says. “If it isn’t me, it’s Gimbo. If it isn’t Gimbo, it’s Stefano – Sottile, fourth in Paris – or plenty of other people who are getting better and better. We keep bringing home excellent results. We’re on the right path. As Barshim says, we’re making ourselves known around the world for how competitive we’re becoming.” In recent weeks Sioli has become Italian champion at the national championships, ahead of Edoardo Stronati and Sottile. Alongside Tamberi – should he decide to compete via a wildcard as reigning world champion – they will be the four representing Italy at the European Championships in Birmingham, from 10 to 16 August. “We work hard, we give it everything, we’re a good team and we enjoy ourselves.”
And now that Sioli seems to be in better shape than Gimbo? “Once I only knew him as an athlete. Training together, I’ve got to know the person behind the athlete too, and I can tell you he’s really easy-going. It makes it easy to build a good friendship. Very often the roles are reversed in competition: when it’s his turn I cheer for him, when it’s my turn it’s the other way around. Every time I talk to him, it’s an honour to receive advice from a champion with his experience. And to feel that he has your back. “The thing about Tamberi that impresses me most? His humanity and sportsmanship. When there’s a result to be achieved, he gives everything. He puts his soul into it, he’ll risk anything to get there. You don’t see many athletes like that. But his greatest strength is something that often gets overlooked in competitive settings: staying a normal, spontaneous guy, without giving any hint of the phenomenon who has won everything. He’s the first to try to bring us into his world through nothing more than passion.”
Sioli and Tamberi also share a passion for basketball. “But Gimbo crushes me,” Matteo jokes. “For me it was something I did as a kid, when you try a bit of every sport. For Tamberi, basketball is a real-life experience. We’re on two different levels. I follow football more, if anything. I’m a big Inter fan and after these last few years of success I’ve become very attached to the Nerazzurri.” Even at San Siro. “I’ve been going since I was a kid. It’s always great being at the stadium, surrounded by the noise. Especially once you start to understand what it feels like to be out there on the pitch, with the crowd all around you. I really like putting myself in the players’ shoes, imagining what they’re feeling while I watch them play just a few metres away.” Favourite players? “I don’t know them personally. But I really admire Barella and Dimarco. They catch my eye every time.” It was a passion for physical activity in general that brought Sioli to where he is today. “I consider myself a quiet person. I spend my days studying, playing online with friends. Or doing sport outside training too. In the past I used to do much more team sport as well. But let’s say that, for precautionary reasons, I’ve had to slow down.”
Otherwise CONI would have something to say. “The thing is, I like giving my best in every situation. It’s always been that way,” the Azzurro reflects. “I started athletics as a kid. At that age you try a bit of everything, without worrying too much about the rest. High jump emerged because it was the event I was best at and the one I won.” It was all very simple. “Especially when you’re still growing, winning feels good and makes you want to keep going. In my very first competition, here near home, I jumped 1.40 metres and set the club record for our group. Results like that – with encouragement from other people too – took me through to my first Italian championships and my first wins.” And on he went, jumping higher and higher. Alone and together with the group. “Our movement has grown a lot over these years. We’ve always been lucky to have the support of the Italian federation: camps, testing, training equipment, medical and rehabilitation support. And the more victories came, the more that backing increased. Breakthrough performances encourage federation investment. As they say, winning helps you win.”
So Los Angeles 2028 can only be in the sights now. For Sioli, it would be his first Olympics. “It’s not that far away, in terms of timing. It already feels close enough to touch. One competition at a time. “There’s no point pretending otherwise: we high jumpers work in four-year cycles, always aiming for the Games. That’s our purpose. An athlete is lucky if they get to compete at four or five Olympics. It’s always difficult to think in four-year blocks, training properly without rushing things. We’re doing everything we can to be there, pushing each other from session to session. We feel very much like a team, Team Italy. Then whatever happens in 2028, we’ll see in 2028.” Especially because Matteo narrowly missed out on Paris when he was still 18. “It’s always legitimate to dream of taking part. I tried then too. That year I was focused on the World Under-20 Championships, but the pull of the Olympics is unmatched. It makes you want to give everything. And the year before the Games is always the most important: you have to produce the results, show the character and the qualities built up over this long journey. So the focus is on what comes next.”
How do you manage the stress when such important competitions are coming up? “No recipe. I behave normally, as I always have, like that kid who watched the Tokyo Olympics like a maniac. So first of all I try to enjoy myself, without letting anxiety or preconceptions take over. Results always come from being at peace.” And remembering that gold medal shared by two in front of the whole world, it’s hard not to think that Tamberi and Barshim showed the way. “Absolutely. I’m still cheering them on.” This time, they’re cheering for him.