Gianmarco Tamberi to Sportal.bg: I'm Eager to See What Viktoriya Angelova Can Achieve

Gianmarco Tamberi has been named the European Men's Athlete of the Year. The Italian high jumper, who edged out Armand Duplantis and Miltiadis Tentoglou for the prestigious accolade, received his award from European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov during a special Gala in Lausanne. Following the ceremony, Tamberi—who was crowned European champion in Birmingham and took the Ultimate Championship title this season—gave an exclusive interview to Sportal.bg.

- Gianmarco, it has been an extraordinary year for you. How does it feel to be crowned the 2026 European Athlete of the Year?
- Naturally, I am thrilled and deeply honoured to receive this award. I'm proud of the season I had, and above all, proud that I never gave up when things got really tough. Every year brings a new lesson, and there is always something to take away. As I’ve said before, as long as I keep learning, it means my journey isn’t over yet. Over the next two years, I hope to reach peak condition in time for the Olympic Games.

- Earlier this year, you mentioned that only you and your wife truly believed you could jump high enough to become European champion and achieve everything you did before the season wrapped up.
- Yes, though I'd say it wasn't just my wife and me—my team believed in it too. But very few people thought I could capture a fourth European title in a season where I headed into the European Championships with some of the lowest marks of my career. Yet, I finished world number one, secured European Championship gold, and lifted the Ultimate trophy. That means the world to me because it proves I'm far from finished.

- You always steal the show, and you did it again tonight at the ceremony. What makes you resonate so strongly with the fans?
- I think it simply comes down to having a genuine connection with the crowd. I am an emotional guy. I feel a deep sense of empathy with the fans, and that all began when I took my first major jump back in 2009. I realised that they can help me soar higher, because the energy inside the stadium feeds directly into an athlete, and I just love to have fun out there. On the track, I'm completely authentic. When I'm sad, it shows.

When I'm angry, I'm angry. When I cry, I cry, but when I'm happy, I celebrate, and people appreciate seeing a human being giving everything to reach their goal. That's why I receive so much support—they don't see a machine clearing 2.37m or 2.39m; they see a real person pushing past their limits.

- You travelled to Lausanne alongside the European Women's Rising Star, Bulgarian triple jumper Viktoriya Angelova. What were your impressions of her during your journey?
- We had a nice chat on the way. She is a lovely person, very gentle, and I was genuinely amazed when she told me she only took up the triple jump in May and went on to win everything this year. Huge credit to her for that achievement.

I'm really excited to see what she can accomplish over the next few years, because the triple jump is incredibly demanding. I've tried it myself and it is no easy task, so what she has achieved in such a short window proves she possesses incredible natural bounce. Let's see how she develops in the coming seasons. I will definitely be cheering her on—alongside our Italian team, of course.

- What advice would you offer to young athletes making their way towards elite-level athletics?
- I would say that there will inevitably be hurdles and setbacks throughout your career. The key difference is that the tougher things get, the more you have to invest in yourself. It's human nature to pull back when the going gets rough to protect ourselves from pain or disappointment, but overcoming adversity requires doubling down on your efforts. That is the biggest lesson from my career—just please don't share it with the younger generation of high jumpers, only the others! I'm joking, of course.

- You beat out incredible global icons like Armand Duplantis and Miltiadis Tentoglou for this award. How does it feel to come out on top in such a memorable year for all three of you?

- Both of them are great friends and phenomenal athletes. I admire them as much as anyone in the world, so I don't really view it as beating them. All three of us had outstanding seasons, and I was fortunate enough to take home the trophy this time. But that doesn't mean I'm a better athlete than them—I don't consider myself anywhere close to being superior.

When it comes to Duplantis, what he does is almost beyond imagination. Still, they push me to be better because they are true winners who keep delivering year after year. There is a huge difference between winning once and consistently staying at the top. They embody the mindset that you must never stop chasing new milestones, because the moment you sit back and dwell on past glories is the moment you should retire. That is what connects the three of us: we never look in the rear-view mirror to say 'we are great athletes.' We keep our eyes forward, focus on the next target, and go all out to achieve it.