The 28-year-old American athlete Shelby McEwen has defended his decision to compete in a jumpoff against New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr rather than sharing the gold medal in the men’s high jump final in the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday. 

McEwen, the silver medalist, told the press after the conclusion, “If it was meant to be it would’ve been. Shout out to Hamish for coming up to me, accepting a jump off and I accepted it and I was all for it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl2qu1Mn9tE

McEwen and Hamish successfully jumped over 2.36m, and a jumpoff took place to see who would stand on the top of the podium. There must be a jumpoff after two or more athletes in the men’s high jump clear the same elevation, starting from the next elevation after the last successful jump from each athlete. 

Both individuals failed to make it over at 2.38m and the bar was reduced to 2.34m. After 11 unsuccessful jumps, Kerr finally landed it, capturing the win and becoming the new “Flying Kiwi.” 

“I mean, hey, he got the gold and I got the silver. At the end of the day, like he said it’s a sport. I mean I represent my country, just like he’s representing his. I’m representing my family just like he’s representing his,” McEwen said.

“At the end of the day we all want to be champions and the only respectful thing to do is walk away with one champion.”

McEwen is now making plans to win gold at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“He said it first, and I agreed to it,” McEwen said. “At some point, I kind of got fatigued. I maybe would have shared it with him, for sure. But I agreed to it, and it was all good.”

At the end of the Paris Olympic Games, China exceeds U.S.in gold medals with 39 to 38. The medal count would be tied between the two nations had McEwen and Kerr chosen to split gold.

“I’m going to take my silver, get back to the drawing board, trust my team, trust my doctors, trust my training and get better,” McEwen said.