The Complex Relationship Between Gianmarco Tamberi and His Father Marco

Gianmarco Tamberi's father is Marco Tamberi, a former high-level athlete who represented Italy in high jump. Marco participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, achieving 15th place with a jump of 2.21 meters. However, his athletic career was prematurely interrupted in 1984 due to a severe accident in which a truck injured his Achilles tendon. After athletics, he reinvented himself as a magazine editor and coach, initially following his sons, Gianmarco and Gianluca (the latter engaged in javelin throwing). Marco was Gianmarco's coach for a long time, significantly contributing to his sporting growth. However, their relationship, characterized by personal tensions and technical differences, deteriorated over time. In 2022, Gianmarco decided to change coaches, turning to Giulio Ciotti, after acknowledging that the collaboration with his father was no longer sustainable. Despite the conflicts, Gianmarco has repeatedly recognized the importance of his father's contribution to his athletic journey. This complex bond has marked not only their personal relationship but also the career of the Olympic and world champion. The father was Tamberi's first coach, who in the summer of 2022, before the World Championships in Eugene, decided to break the partnership. He said: "It is a decision I had been considering for some time. In these years of collaboration, great results have alternated with equally great differences. There was an exchange of opinions on what was not working so far in the preparation, and a diversity of views emerged." A year ago, he said: "The relationship has deteriorated to such an extent that today it is compromised, and whether time will fix it, I still cannot know. We practically don't talk anymore. I believe that being a parent should never deviate from being a dad. That is, a parent is someone who teaches you how to live, and my father was exemplary in that. However, the part of being a dad, the one who explains things with love, was missing."