The City of Love and Light truly lived up to its name at the Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Ceremony. Boats carrying teams from around the world lit up the River Seine, filling the air with sportsmanship, love, and Olympic energy. Among them, the Italian squad, with its 402 members, brought a splash of green, white, and red to the water. Track and field star Gianmarco Tamberi and fencer Arianna Errigo led the charge as flag bearers, creating an epic moment. But amidst all the joy and pride, Tamberi made a huge mistake that could have been out of a romantic comedy: he lost his wedding ring!

Yep, the golden band symbolizing his marriage to Chiara Bontempi took an unexpected dive into the Seine. In a twist of love and humor, Tamberi took to Instagram with a heartfelt letter to his wife. Gianmarco shared a four-image carousel on Instagram, starting with a throwback to their wedding day on September 1, 2022. The second photo captured the couple showing off their wedding rings. The third showed him proudly raising the Tricolore flag on the boat on the Seine. The final image was a hilarious recreation of the iconic scene from The Lord of the Rings where Frodo reaches out for his “precious.”

He penned in his caption, “I’m sorry, my love, I’m so sorry. Too much water, too many kilos lost in the last few months or maybe the irrepressible enthusiasm of what we were doing. Probably all three things, the fact remains that I felt it slip away, I saw it fly…. I followed it with my gaze until I saw it bounce inside the boat.”

Gianmarco Tamberi continued, “A tinkle of hope… But unfortunately the bounce was in the wrong direction and floating more than a thousand times in the air I saw it dive into the water as if that was the only place where it wanted to be.” Adding a whimsical twist to the unfortunate incident, Tamberi explained that if it had to happen, losing his wedding ring during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics was the most poetic place for it.

He mentioned how it would remain forever in the riverbed of the city of love, having slipped away while he was trying to raise the Italian tricolor. Tamberi reflected that he couldn’t have invented a more imaginative excuse and saw a poetic side to the misdeed. But that’s not all!

Gianmarco even suggested that they could throw his wife’s ring into the river as well, so the rings would be together forever and they would have another excuse to renew their vows and get married again. The track and field star Gianmarco Tamberi wrapped up his note with a hopeful, “I love you my love ❤️ May it be a good omen to return home with an even bigger gold!!! 🙏🇮🇹😡💪🏿🔥” Now that’s turning a mishap into a sweet love story! Gianmarco Tamberi has always had a knack for turning Olympic moments into poetic stories. Did you know this isn’t his first time capturing hearts with his unique twists and turns?

Ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024, Gianmarco Tamberi shared a golden moment & medal in Tokyo!

Flashback to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics: Tamberi and his close friend and contender, Mutaz Barshim of Qatar, created an iconic moment when they decided to share the gold medal in the high jump. Both had battled the same career-threatening injury, lifting each other up through the toughest times. So, when they found themselves tied at the end of the Olympic final, they instantly knew what to do. As an official approached to ask if they wanted to jump off for the title, they didn’t hesitate. Barshim asked “Can we have two golds?”

“Neither of us wanted to take this immense joy away from the other, we didn’t even need to discuss it, an eye contact and we both knew we wanted to share this gold. In fact, many times before we’ve joked ‘imagine if we could share an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo?’” shared Gianmarco Tamberi with World Athletics. And without any hesitation, they agreed.

It wasn’t just about winning; it was about the spirit of friendship and sportsmanship. Tamberi, who carried the cast from his ankle surgery as a reminder of his journey, now returns to the Paris Olympics as a flag bearer, ready to defend his gold. And Barshim? He’s back for his fourth and final games, looking to defend his title too. As we reflect on Gianmarco Tamberi’s epic start to the Paris 2024 Olympics, what do you think about his hilariously romantic moment on the River Seine? Share your thoughts below!