Gianmarco Tamberi Named European Athlete of the Year at Golden Tracks

Gianmarco Tamberi made history on October 24, 2026, by becoming the first Italian track and field athlete to win the European Athlete of the Year award, defeating reigning global champions at the Golden Tracks ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland, FIDAL reported.

Golden Tracks Victory in Lausanne

The 34-year-old high jump captain secured the European Athletics honor after a season that included winning the European title in Birmingham with a jump of 2.32 meters and triumphing as the Ultimate Champion in Budapest with a world-leading mark of 2.37 meters, according to FIDAL and OASport.

Tamberi overcame strong competition from two other continental champions nominated in the final selection: Swedish pole vault record holder Armand Duplantis and Greek long jump double Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, Sportmediaset and OASport noted.

È stata una stagione incredibile. Vincere l’oro agli Europei nel giorno del primo compleanno di mia figlia è stato pazzesco, ed è per questo che ho chiesto a tutto lo stadio di cantarla ‘buon compleanno’. Sono un atleta che vuole dare il massimo nel giorno che conta.

Gianmarco Tamberi

Italian Athletics Success at the Gala

Mei highlighted that Italy was the only nation to place three athletes in the final nominations across the gala categories.

Ribaltare una stagione che non era cominciata nel migliore dei modi, e trasformarla in un capolavoro come visto a Birmingham e Budapest, è un’impresa che riesce soltanto ai grandissimi campioni. Gimbo è sempre di più nella storia dello sport italiano e mondiale.

Stefano Mei

Other accolades handed out during the Golden Tracks Gala Night included Swiss 800-meter runner Audrey Werro being named women’s European Athlete of the Year, defeating Italy’s Nadia Battocletti. Czech 400-meter hurdler Michal Rada and Bulgarian triple jumper Victoria Angelova secured the men’s and women’s rising star awards, respectively, edging out Italian finalist Daniele Inzoli, as reported by OASport and FIDAL.

Precedents and Rising Young Stars

Italy’s recent continental track success builds on prior achievements recognized by European Athletics. In 2023, long jumper Mattia Furlani captured the rising star award, following in the footsteps of Andrew Howe who won the same accolade in 2007. Additionally, the Italian national team collected the team spirit award following a 24-medal haul at the Rome European Championships in 2024, as documented in FIDAL records.

Reflecting on the broader state of the national team, Tamberi credited the five gold medals won at the Tokyo Olympic Games with shifting the mindset of younger Italian competitors.

Stiamo ottenendo risultati ‘crazy’ anche con i giovani. Non so quale sia il segreto ma credo che tutti abbiano cominciato a pensare che niente fosse impossibile e che tutto potesse accadere. Le 5 medaglie d’oro di Tokyo ci hanno aperto la mente. Credo genuinamente che la nostra squadra possa ancora crescere, perché i giovani sono ancora più forti di noi: Los Angeles ce lo dirà.

Gianmarco Tamberi

Road to Beijing and Los Angeles

With the Lausanne ceremony concluding the 2026 continental athletics calendar, focus turns toward major global championships on the horizon. Stefano Mei expressed confidence that Tamberi will remain a central protagonist at the upcoming World Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, though future competition readiness beyond those targets remains dependent on physical conditioning and ongoing squad development.