The incident occurred yesterday during the parade that delegations took part in along the river in the French capital during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Tamberi was serving as Italy’s flag bearer on the boat transporting the athletes when, suddenly, he noticed that the ring had slipped from his finger and fallen into the waters of the Seine.

“I’m sorry, my love, I’m so sorry.” Thus begins the extensive apology message that Italian athlete Tamberi, Olympic high jump champion in Tokyo 2020, dedicated to his wife on Instagram after losing his wedding ring in the Seine.

“Too much water, too many kilos lost in recent months, or perhaps the irrepressible enthusiasm for what we were doing. Probably all three,” wrote the jumper in the public message he directed to his wife, Chiara Bontempi Tamberi, to explain the possible reasons.

The Italian athlete almost poetically assures that he saw the ring fly through the air before it first bounced off the surface of the boat and then ended up in the river. An image he himself has recalled as “moments that lasted forever.” “If it really had to happen, if it really had to be lost, I couldn’t imagine a better place,” added Tamberi, who similarly highlights that the ring will remain forever in the depths of the City of Love’s river.

Tamberi suggested that losing the ring might be an opportunity to renew their vows and serve as extra motivation for winning more Olympic medals. Initially, his wife seemed skeptical, even joking about the circumstances of the loss. Nonetheless, Tamberi's heartfelt apology has touched many of his followers.

Currently competing in his third Olympics, after London 2012 and Tokyo 2020, where he won gold, Tamberi has a distinguished record that includes being the European and world champion. He is competing in Paris after recovering from an injury that sidelined him during much of his preparation. With his impressive track record, he remains a strong contender for another gold medal.