Italian Flag-Bearer Apologizes To Wife After His Wedding Ring Flew Off During Opening Ceremony

While athletes from around the world are flocking to Paris in hopes of winning Olympic gold, Italy's flag bearer already lost a bit of gold in the deep, not-as-sewagey-as-it-once-was waters of the Seine.

High jumper Gianmarco Tamberi — who famously split the gold with Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — was given the honor of being his nation's flag bearer during Friday's opening ceremony, but perhaps that flag waving got a little too vigorous, and it led to Tamberi's wedding ring flying off his finger and into the river.

"I'm sorry my love, I'm really, really sorry," Tamberi wrote on Instagram. "Too much water, too many kilograms lost over the last few months and maybe the uncontrollable enthusiasm of what we were doing. Probably all three things."

"I followed it until I saw it bounce inside the boat," he continued. "But the rebound went in the wrong direction unfortunately. ... But if it had to happen, if I really had to lose this ring, I couldn't imagine a better place. It will remain forever on the riverbed in the City of Love."

At least she knows he's telling the truth. He definitely didn't "misplace" his ring to get in on the now-famously anemic Tinder scene in the Olympic Village.

He suggested that his wife huck her ring in the river too.

"Then they'll be together forever," he said, "And we'll have another reason to renew our vows.

Dude, you're already married to her. Slow your roll, Casanova. Some of us who write for a living are starting to feel a little insecure about our work… this dude can write and he has hops.

According to the CBC, Tamberi has been married to  Chiara Bontempi for two years. That's long enough for her to be bumming pretty good about that missing ring, but also, any new ring he buys is only two years newer than the one he lost, so it's not that big of a difference.

However, Tamberi knows that his wedding ring may be a small price to pay for a gold medal.

"Hopefully this is a sign that I'll come home with an ever bigger gold medal."

Best of luck to Gianmarco in the high jump competition and when he inevitably goes ring shopping again.