American high jumper forced to settle for silver after opting against shared gold medal

American Shelby McEwen had a shot at a shared gold medal at Saturday’s Olympic high jump final. Instead, McEwen will return to the U.S. with a silver medal after losing a “jump-off” to New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr.

Kerr and McEwen both agreed to the jump-off, despite initial reports that only the American refused to share gold.

The U.S. ultimately finished tied with China in the final gold medal tally. If McEwen and Kerr shared the gold, the Americans would have stood alone atop the medal table.

“If it was meant to be it would’ve been,” McEwen said Saturday. “Shout out to Hamish for coming up to me, accepting a jump off and I accepted it and I was all for it.”

McEwen and Kerr struggled throughout the jump-off, combining for 11 consecutive misses. The New Zealander eventually earned the gold after officials lowered the bar twice to 7 feet, 8.75 inches.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, high jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi faced a similar dilemma. But instead of competing in a jump-off, the pair agreed to share the gold.

McEwen explained that he and Kerr mutually agreed against sharing gold. They wanted a jump-off to determine a lone champion.

“It’s a sport. I mean I represent my country, just like he’s representing his. I’m representing my family just like he’s representing his,” McEwen said. “At the end of the day we all want to be champions and the only respectful thing to do is walk away with one champion.”

The jumpers’ decision not to share the gold in Paris drew mixed responses from fans on social media. Some applauded the athletes for their competitive spirit while others criticized a perceived selfishness.

“Most sports have a clear winner,” one X user wrote. “Sharing gold seems cute but also denies athletes their win in a way.”

“Shelby McEwen should’ve gone for sharing them,” another viewer wrote during the competition. “This is so nerve-wracking!”

— This article is based in part on wire service reports.