Following in the golden footprints of Olympic, world and European high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi is no easy task, but in 2025 his Italian teammate Matteo Sioli showed he, too, is ready to scale the heights.
By taking bronze at the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in March, then winning gold at the Bergen 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships, improving his personal best to 2.30m and securing a creditable eighth-place finish at his debut World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sioli has proven he is ready to take centre stage in the men’s high jump.
2025 goals fulfilled
“When the season started, I had two big goals: to jump 2.30m and to win a gold medal in Bergen,” he said in an exclusive interview on the European Athletics YouTube channel.
He achieved both in brilliant fashion under the Norwegian sun. Having improved by 7cm this year, the 20-year-old is now targeting further progress next season, including the World Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland, and the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships.
Yet he remains aware of the fierce domestic battle for places in Italy, led by the iconic Tamberi.
“I know in Italy there are a lot of strong jumpers,” he says. “We have Gianmarco, of course, and also Stefano Sottile (fourth at the Paris Olympics), and others who jump over 2.30m. There’s a big history of high jump in Italy. We have a lot of possibilities. Gianmarco is a big inspiration for us.”
One major aim stands above the rest: raising his personal best. “I know 3cm is a lot,” he admits. “And I know I have to work a lot just to improve by 1cm. It’s very difficult.”
Global challenge lies ahead
He is also keenly aware of the depth of talent on the global stage. “We have Hamish Kerr (New Zealand’s Olympic and world champion), who won a lot this year and last year. But also Woo Sang-hyeok, Oleh Doroshchuk, Jan Stefela… many athletes who can jump a lot. And of course Gianmarco can have another great year next year.”
At 33, Tamberi may still have more magic left in his legs, but with Sioli rising fast, Italy looks set to remain a formidable force in men’s high jump for years to come.
And if 2025 was Sioli’s breakout, 2026 might just be the year he stops chasing footprints—and starts leaving his own.