New Zealand Gold Medalist Goes Viral for Hilarious High Jump Fail

Hamish Kerr left the men’s high jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics as a gold medalist, but that may not be what he’s remembered for most from the event.

Kerr and American Shelby McEwan were tied for first after both failed to clear the bar at 2.38m, but instead of sharing a gold medal, McEwan insisted on a jump-off.

Both athletes started with the 2.38m height, but after neither cleared it the bar was lowered to 2.36m — the personal best for both jumpers — and they each failed to clear that height. It was then lowered to 2.34m, and that’s when Kerr became an internet sensation.

On his first attempt at 2.34m, Kerr had a fault start, pulling up at the last minute and soaring under the bar and onto the mat. Many flocked to social media almost immediately to share a laugh at his expense.

Speaking to reporters after the event, Kerr hinted fatigue may have played a role in his viral flop.

“At some point, I kind of got fatigued,” Kerr said. “I might have shared it with him. But I agreed to it and it was all good. I wasn’t going to go back and forth and argue with them or talk to him. He just wanted to jump off and I was all in for it.”

Had Kerr and McEwan shared the gold, it would have been the second straight Olympic Games that happened in the men’s high jump after Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi both won gold at the Tokyo Olympics.