Should Shelby McEwen have shared gold for USA’s medal count? Don’t be ridiculous

Shelby McEwen’s performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics sparked debate after he narrowly missed out on a medal in the men’s high jump. Some fans questioned whether the high jump should allow for a shared gold medal, similar to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy famously shared the gold.

However, the suggestion that McEwen should have shared gold is not grounded in the reality of competitive sports. The high jump, like many other Olympic events, is designed to identify a single winner based on performance. The shared gold in 2021 was a rare exception, driven by extraordinary circumstances where both competitors had identical results and neither wanted to continue in a jump-off due to injury risks.

In McEwen’s case, the competition followed the standard rules, and the medals were awarded accordingly. To suggest that the rules should be bent or changed simply to benefit one athlete or to boost a country’s medal count undermines the fairness and integrity of the competition. The essence of the Olympics is to reward the best performance on the day, and McEwen, despite his talent and effort, did not finish in a medal position.

The focus should remain on celebrating the incredible achievements of all athletes and respecting the rules of the sport. McEwen’s participation and the opportunity to represent his country on such a grand stage are achievements in their own right, and there is no need to create scenarios where medals are shared out of sympathy or convenience.