Preview: Rome Diamond League Golden Gala Pietro Mennea
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The prestigious Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome, set for this Friday, August 30, will showcase an extraordinary lineup of talent, featuring nine Olympic champions from the recent Paris Games. Among them are Faith Kipyegon, reigning gold medalist in the women’s 1500 meters, and Letsile Tebogo, who claimed gold in the men’s 200 meters but will switch to the 100m in Rome. Joining them will be Ryan Crouser in men’s shot put, Roje Stona in men’s discus throw, and Tara Davis in women’s long jump. The event will also highlight performances from Nina Kennedy in women’s pole vault, Hamish Kerr in men’s high jump, Masai Russell in women’s 100m hurdles, and Winfred Yavi in women’s 3000 meters steeplechase, all adding to the star-studded event.
Women’s 1500 metres:
Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon returns to the Golden Gala one year after setting the 1500 metres world record with 3:49.11 in Florence in 2023. Kipyegon improved her own record to 3:49.04 on the track of the Charlety Stadium in Paris last July. Kipyegon won the Olympic 1500m final in Paris in 3:51.29 becoming the first athlete to claim three consecutive titles at this event over this distance. The Kenyan middle-distance star also won the Olympic silver medal in the 5000 metres in 14:29.60. Kipyegon collected a total four world gold medals in her career, including her 1500m and 5000 metres doubles at the World Championships in Budapest.
The women’s 1500 metres is shaping up as a spectacular race, as it also features Nadia Battocletti, who returns to the track of the Olympic Stadium where she won two European gold medals in the 5000 and 10000 metres last June. The Italian athlete won the silver medal in the 10000 metres and finished fourth in the 5000 metres at the Olympic Games in Paris improving Italian records over both distances with 14:31.64 and 30:43.35. For a couple of hours Battocletti had been awarded the bronze medal in the 5000m after the disqualification of Kipyegon, who was then reinstated and claimed the silver medal behind her compatriot Beatrice Chebet. Giuliano Battocletti, father and coach of Nadia Battocletti, said in a recent interview that her daughter has the ability to run the 1500 metres in 3:55-3:56.
The star-studded line-up features Ethiopian middle-distance runners Diribe Welteji, Birke Haylom, Worknesh Mesele and Nigist Getachew. Welteji finished fourth in the 1500 metres at the Olympic Games in Paris in a lifetime best of 3:52.76 and won the 3000 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne improving the meeting record with 8:21.50.
Haylom improved her PB to 3:53.22 at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen last April and holds a world under 20 record in the mile with 4:17.23 at the Bislett Games in Oslo in 2023.
Mesele improved her PBs to 3:57.61 in the 1500 metres in Xiamen and 1:58.06 in the 800 metres semifinal of the Olympic Games before finishing sixth in the final in 1:58.28.
Getachew improved her 1500m PB to 3:58.98 in the Diamond League in Paris.
The Italian fans will cheer on Sintayehu Vissa and Ludovica Cavalli. Vissa improved the long-standing Italian record set by Gabriella Dorio clocking 3:58.11 in the semifinal of the Olympic Games in Paris and won the NCAA 1500m title in 2022. Cavalli finished 11th in the 1500m at the World Championships in Budapest.
Men’s 100 metres:
Four sprinters who took part in the 100 metres final at the Olympic Games in Paris will clash again in Rome. Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson will go head-to-head against bronze medallist Fred Kerley from the USA, fifth placer Marcell Jacobs and sixth placer Letsile Tebogo from Botswana, who won the 200m Olympic title. The line-up also features USA’s Christian Coleman, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown and Italy’s Chituru Ali.
Thompson won the Jamaican Trials title in the 100 metres in 9.77 and finished second in the Olympic final in 9.79 just five thousandths of a second behind winner Noah Lyles. The Jamaican sprinter also won in Szekesfehrvar in 9.91 beating Tebogo last July. Thompson felt a small physical problem during the warm-up before the Chorzow meeting but it is nothing serious.
Tebogo won the 200 metres gold medal in Paris with the African record of 19.46. Tebogo also finished sixth in the 100 metres in a PB of 9.86 and anchored the Botswanan team to the Olympic silver medal in the 4x400 relay in a new African record of 2:54.53. The Botswanan sprinter won three Diamond League races this year in the 200 metres in Monaco in 19.87, in Lausanne in 19.64 e in Chorzow in 19.83.
Tebogo reached the podium twice at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 winning silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m.
Kerley won the Olympic bronze medal in 9.81 in Paris three years after finishing second to Jacobs in Tokyo. Kerley also finished third at the US Trials in 9.88. The US sprinter returns to the Golden Gala after his wins in 2022 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome and in 2023 at the Luigi Ridolfi Stadium in Florence in 9.94.
Jacobs returns to the Rome Olympic Stadium, where he won his second European gold medal in 10.02 last June ahead of his compatriot Chituru Ali. The Italian sprinter finished fifth in the Olympic final in Paris in 9.85, clocking his fastest time since Tokyo 2021, when he won the Olympic gold medal setting the European record with 9.80. Jacobs also won the 100 metres at the Continental Tour Gold in Turku in 9.92.
Ali finished second to Jacobs in Turku improving his PB to 9.96. he became the second Italian sprinter in history to dip under the 10 seconds barrier.
Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala set the African record with 9.77 at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Nairobi and won the Kenyan Trials in the same city in 9.79. He ran the semifinal at the Olympic Games in 10.08 before breaking the 10 seconds barrier again with 9.95 in the Austrian meeting in Andorf.
Blake won the world indoor bronze medal in the 60 metres in 6.46 and finished third at the Jamaican Trials in 9.92. The Jamaican sprinter finished fifth in the London Diamond League in 9.97 and equalled his PB with 9.89 in Chorzow last Sunday.
Sani Brown set his seasonal best of 9.96 in the semifinal and finished fifth in the 4x100 relay final in 37.78 at the Olympic Games in Paris. The Japanese sprinter reached the final in the past two edition of the World Championships finishing seventh in Eugene 2022 and sixth in Budapest 2023.
Men’s shot put:
World record holder Ryan Crouser won his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris with 22.90m on a rainy day. Crouser will compete for the first time in his career at the Rome Golden Gala. He is aiming to improve the meeting record set by Poland’s Konrad Bukowiecki in 2019 with 21.97m.
Crouser will face his compatriot Joe Kovacs and Rajindra Campbell, who won the silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games in Paris with the same mark of 22.15, Payton Otterdahl, fourth at the Olympic Games in Paris, and Leonardo Fabbri, European champion in Rome and fifth at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Kovacs won two Diamond League competitions this year in Eugene with a world lead of 23.13m and in Chorzow with 22.14m beating Crouser by two cm. Kovacs won the Diamond League Final with 22.93m in Eugene 2023.
Fabbri returns to the Rome Olympic Stadium, where he won his first European gold medal with 22.45m last June. The Italian shot put star is seeking his third Diamond League win following his victories in his home city Florence with 21.73m in 2023 and in London with 22.52m last July when he beat Crouser and Kovacs. Fabbri broke Alessandro Andrei’s long standing Italian record with 22.95m in Savona (the second best in the world this year. He finished fifth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 21.70m and third at the Chorzow Diamond League with 22.03m last Sunday.
Otterdahl finished third at the US Trials in Eugene with 22.28m and at the London Diamond League meeting with 22.13m and fourth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 22.03m.
The line-up also features Nigeria’s Chukwebuka Enekwechi and New Zealand’s Jacko Gill, who finished sixth and seventh at the Olympic Games in Paris, Filip Mijaljevic from Croatia, European champion in Munich 2022 and 2023 European indoor champion Zane Weir from Italy.
Men’s discus throw:
The men’s discus throw line-up features the entire podium of the Olympic Games in Paris, including Jamaica’s Roje Stona (gold), Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna (silver) and Australia’s Matthew Denny (bronze). The top seven of the Paris Olympic final will line up in Rome.
Stona is seeking the first Diamond League win of his career. The Jamaican thrower won the Olympic gold medal with 70.00. He is coached by three-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser at the University of Arkansas.
Alekna set the world record of 74.35m in Ramona last April, improving Jurgen Schult’s previous mark of 74.08m. This record had stood since 1986, making it the longest-standing world record in men’s athletics. Last August Alekna won the Olympic silver medal with 69.97m, improving his father Virgilius Alekna’s Olympic record that had stood since Athens 2004. However, that record was broken a few minutes later by gold medallist Stona, who improved the Olympic record with 70.00m.
Matthew Denny won the Olympic bronze medal in Paris with 69.31m. Denny finished fourth at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 with 68.24m and won the Diamond League Final in Eugene with 68.43m in Eugene in 2023.
Kristjan Ceh set the Golden Gala meeting record with 70.22m in 2022. The Slovenian thrower won the European gold medal in Rome last June with 68.08m adding this title to his collection that also includes the world gold medal in Eugene 2022. Ceh won the Diamond League final in Zurich 2022.
Daniel Stahl won gold medals at the World Championships in Budapest with 71.46m beating Ceh in one of the greatest finals of this event and at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021.
The other athletes to watch are Lukas Weissheidinger from Austria, European silver medallist in Rome 2024 with 67.70m and bronze medallist at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 and at the World Championships in Doha 2019.
Clemens Prufer from Germany, who finished sixth at both the Olympic Games in Paris with 67.41m and at the European Championships in Rome with 64.60m, Henrik Janssen from Germany, fifth at the European Championships in Rome with 65.48m, Simon Petterson, Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo behind his compatriot Stahl with 67.39m, and Italy’s Alessio Mannucci, who improved his PB to 64.97m this year.
Women’s 100 metres hurdles:
Masai Russell won the US Trials becoming the fourth fastest hurdler in history with her lifetime best of 12.25 and the Olympic gold medal in 12.33. Russell also finished fourth in the 60 metres hurdles in 7.81 at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. The US hurdler is chasing the first Diamond League win of her career.
The other two US hurdlers in the line-up are Alaysha Johnson and 2021 Olympic silver medallist Kendra Harrison. Johnson finished second at the US Championships in Eugene in 12.31 and clocked 12.59 in Lausanne and 12.42 in Chorzow. Harrison finished sixth at the US Trials in Eugene in 12.39 and clocked 12.49 in Chorzow.
Samba Mayela returns to the Rome Olympic Stadium, where she won the European gold medal last June setting a European leading time with 12.31. The French hurdler won the Olympic silver medal in 12.34 in Paris in front of her home fans.
Nugent won the Jamaican Trials in a lifetime best of 12.28. Last week the 22-year-old Jamaican hurdler placed third in Lausanne in 12.38 and set two meeting records clocking 12.30 in the heats and 12.29 in the final.
Visser improved her Dutch 100 metres hurdles record to 12.36 in La Chaux de Fonds on 14 July and finished fourth in the Olympic final in Paris in 12.43. Visser won two European Indoor titles in the 60 metres hurdles in Glasgow 2019 and Torun 2021 and claimed two Diamond League wins in Rome 2020 and Brussels 2021.
Ditaji Kambundj returns to Rome where she won the silver medal at the European Championships improving her Swiss record to 12.40. Kambundji won her first Diamond League race in Doha in 12.49. She clocked 12.68 in the semifinal of the Olympic Games in Paris and 12.75 in Lausanne.
Devynne Charlton improved Susanna Kallur’s world indoor record to 7.67 in the 60 metres hurdles in New York and won the world indoor gold medal in a new world record of 7.65 in Glasgow. The Bahamian hurdler finished sixth in the Olympic final in 12.56.
The Italian hopes are carried by Giada Carmassi, who won het second consecutive national title in her lifetime best of 12.87 in La Spezia.
Men’s 110 metres hurdles:
Lorenzo Simonelli returns to the track of the Rome Olympic Stadium where he won the European gold medal in the men’s 110 metres hurdles setting the Italian record and the fastest time in Europe with 13.05 in front of his home fans. Simonelli finished second in Monaco in 13.08 and fifth in Lausanne in 13.26. Last March the Italian hurdler won the world indoor silver medal in a national record of 7.43 in the 60 metres hurdles.
Simonelli will renew his rivalry against his friend Sasha Zhoya, who beat the Italian hurdler when he won the European under 23 title in 2023. Zhoya won his first Diamond League race in front of French fans in Paris in his his PB of 13.15.
The line-up of this Diamond League non-scoring race will feature Cordell Tinch, fourth at the US Trials in 13.03, Orlando Bennett, second at the Jamaican Trials in 13.18, Omar McLeod, who won the Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro and set the Golden Gala meeting record in Florence 2021, and Asler Martinez, European champion in Munich and world bronze medal in Eugene in 2022.
Women’s long jump:
Tara Davis Woodhall jumped 7.10m to win the Olympic gold medal in Paris. The US jumper also claimed the world indoor title in Glasgow with 7.07m and the US Indoor title with 7.18m in Albuquerque. She is aiming to win her first Diamond League competition at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.
Davis Woodhall will take on her compatriot Jasmine Moore, double Olympic bronze medallist in both the long jump with 6.96m and in the triple jump with 14.67m and winner of seven NCAA titles in both disciplines in 2022 and 2023.
The line-up also features Ese Brume from Nigeria, Olympic bronze medallist in Tokyo 2021 and two-time world medallist (bronze in Doha 2019 and silver in Eugene 2022), Alina Rotaru Kottman from Romania, world bronze medallist in Budapest 2023, Quanesha Burks, fourth at both the World Championships in Eugene and at the US Olympic Trials in the same venue this year, Monae Nichols, sixth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 6.67m, Marthe Koala from Burkina Faso, seventh at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 and winner at the Diamond League meeting in Suzhou with 6.68m, and Milica Gardasevic from Serbia, European under 20 champion in Grosseto 2017 and sixth at the World indoor Championships in Glasgow 2024.
Men’s 400 metres:
Muzala Samukonga from Zambia and Kirani James from Grenada headline the men’s 400 metres. Samukonga made his breakthrough last year when he broke the 44 seconds barrier for the first time in his career with 43.91 at the Continental Tour Gold in Gaborone. Samukonga improved his PB twice to 43.81 in the semifinal and 43.74 in the final to win the Olympic silver medal in Paris.
James won three Olympic medals (gold in London 2012, silver in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2021) and three world medals (gold in Daegu 2011, bronze in Beijing 2015 and silver in Eugene 2022). The Grenadan athlete clocked 43.78 in the semifinal and 43.87 in the final to finish fifth at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Norwood won two Olympic gold medals in the men’s 4x400 relay and in the men’s 4x400 mixed relay. The US athlete finished fourth at the US Trials in 44.47 and clocked 44.34 in Monaco and a lifetime best of 44.10 in London. Norwood will face his compatriot Bryce Deadmon, who won two Olympic gold medals in the 4x400 relay in Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 and finished fifth in 44.61 at the US Trials in Eugene. Olympic champion Quincy Hall has pulled out of the meeting due to an injury.
Jereem Richards won the world indoor gold medal in the 400 metres in 45.00 in Belgrade 2022, the Commonwealth Games gold medal in the 200 metres in 19.80. Richards finished fourth in 43.78 in the 400m final at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Two more Olympic 4x400 relay medallists in the line-up are Collen Busang Kebinatshipi and Bayapo Ndori, who finished second in Paris setting the African record with 2:54.53. Ndori won at the Kip Keino Classic in 44.10 last April. Kebinatshipi improved his PB to 44.22 in Lausanne last week.
Charles Dobson from Great Britain won the European silver medal in Rome in 44.38 and improved his PB to 44.23 at the London Diamond League. Dobson ran 44.48 in the semifinal and won the bronze medal in the 4x400 relay in 2:55.83 at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Italian rising star Luca Sito will run the second Diamond League race of his career following his seventh place in Monaco in 45.26. Sito made his breakthrough last June when he broke Davide Re’s Italian record clocking 44.75 in the semifinal of the European Championships in Rome before finishing fifth in final in 45.12. Sito broke the 45 seconds barrier for the second time in his career in the heats with 44.99 before clocking 45.01 in the semifinal at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The race will be dedicated to the memory of former Italian 400m record holder Andrea Barberi, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 44.
Women’s 400 metres hurdles:
Anna Cockrell won the Olympic silver medal in the women’s 400 metres hurdles in Paris behind Sydney McLaughlin becoming the fourth fastest athlete in history in 51.87. Cockrell also finished second at both the US Trials in 52.64 and the Chorzow Diamond League in 52.88.
Cockrell will face three finalists of the Olympic Games in Paris: Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton (fifth in 52.88) and Shiann Salmon (sixth in 53.29) and Louise Maraval (eighth at the Olympic Games in Paris in 54.53 and European silver medallist in Rome 2024 in 54.23).
The line-up also features four athletes, who won Olympic 4x400 medals: Shamier Little, double gold medallist in the 4x400 relay and in the 4x400 mixed relay in Paris, Laviai Nielsen from Great Britain, who won the bronze medal in the 4x400 relay and improved her PB in the 400 metres to 49.87 at the London Diamond League, Janieve Russell from Jamaica, Olympic bronze medallist in the 4x400 relay in Tokyo 2021 and two-time winner in Rome in 2016 and 2017.
Women’s pole vault:
Australia’s Nina Kennedy clinched the first Olympic gold medal of her career in the women’s pole vault with 4.90m in Paris and is aiming to regain the Diamond League she lost to her US rival Katie Moon. Kennedy shared the world gold medal with Moon in Budapest 2023 with 4.90m and won the Diamond League Trophy in Zurich in 2022 with 4.81m.
Kennedy will clash against Alysha Newman from Canada and Angelica Moser from Switzerland. Newman won the Olympic bronze medal in Paris with a national record of 4.85m and the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
Moser has a fond memory of the Rome Olympic Stadium, where she won the European gold medal with a Swiss record of 4.78m. The Swiss pole vaulter improved her national record twice to 4.83m and 4.88m at the Monaco Diamond League. She also won the Marrakesh Diamond League meeting with 4.73m and finished fourth at the Olympic Games with 4.80m.
Three-time world silver medallist Sandi Morris returns to Rome, where she won in the 2022 edition of the Golden Gala with 4.81m. Morris is aiming to bounce back from her fourth place at the US Olympic Trials.
Italian fans will cheer on Elisa Molinarolo and Roberta Bruni after their good seasons. Molinarolo finished third at the Diamond League meeting in Marrakesh with 4.55m and sixth in both the European Championships in Rome with 4.58m and at the Olympic Games in Paris with a PB of 4.70m. Bruni finished second in Marrakesh with 4.65m, seventh at the European Championships in Rome with 4.58m and cleared 4.66m in Monaco and 4.65m in London.
Eliza McCartney won the Olympic bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and the world indoor silver medal in Glasgow 2024 with 4.80m.
Tina Sutej from Slovenia won two bronze medals at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade and at the European Championships in Munich in 2022.
Amalia Svabikova from Czechia won the European indoor bronze medal in Istanbul and finished fifth at the Olympic Games in Paris with her PB of 4.80m and fourth at the European Championships in Rome.
Men’s high jump:
Gianmarco Tamberi set the Olympic Stadium on fire when he won his third European gold medal with a world lead of 2.37m. Tamberi made history when he shared the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo with his friend Mutaz Barshim at 2.37m. Kidney problems ruined his preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris, where he finished 11th with 2.22m, but he bounced back with a win at the Chorzow Diamond League meeting with 2.31m last Sunday. Tamberi won four Diamond League competitions in his career (including Monaco in 2016 with his national record 2.39m and two Finals in Zurich in 2021 and 2022 with 2.34m) and is aiming to win for the first time in his appearance at the Golden Gala. The Italian star placed second in 2020, third in 2016 and 2021 (when he cleared 2.33m in Florence) and 2022 and fourth in 2019.
Tamberi will clash against his compatriot Stefano Sottile, who finished fourth in the Olympic final in Paris with 2.31m losing the bronze medal to Mutaz Barshim on countback. Sottile achieved his best Diamond League result when he finished third in Monaco with 2.28m and won his third Italian title with 2.30m in La Spezia.
The Italian jumpers will face South Korea’s Songhyeok Woo, world indoor champion in Belgrade 2022 with 2.34m and Diamond League winner in Eugene with 2.33m, Oleh Doroshchuk from the Ukraine, European bronze medallist in Rome with 2.29m and sixth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 2.31m, Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford, tenth in the Olympic final in Paris and second at the Chorzow Diamond League meeting with 2.29m and Jan Stefela from Czechia, fifth at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow and at the European Championships in Rome in 2024 with 2.26m.
Women’s 200 metres:
Daryll Neita is seeking her third Diamond League win this season after claiming wins in the 200 metres in Suzhou in 22.62 and in Doha in the 100 metres in 10.98 and set a seasonal best in the 200 metres with 22.20 at the London Diamond League meeting last July. At the Olympic Games in Paris Neita finished fourth in the 100m in 10.96 after clocking 10.92 in the heats and fifth in the 200 metres in 22.23. The British sprinter also won the Olympic silver medal in the 4x100 relay in 41.85. Neita returns to Rome where she won the silver medal in 22.50 and won the gold medal in the 4x100 relay in 41.91 at the European Championships in Rome.
Neita will resume her rivalry against Mujinga Kambundji, who won her second consecutive European gold medal in the 200 metres in Rome in 22.49. Kambundji finished sixth in the Olympic final in the 100m in Paris in the fourth appearance at this event. The Swiss sprinter finished third in Lausanne 11.06 reaching the top-three in the 100 metres for the first time in her career in a Diamond League meeting.
Britany Brown won the Olympic bronze medal in the 200 metres in 22.20 in Paris beating Neita and the world silver medal in Doha 2019 ahead of Kambundji. The US sprinter finished second at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene in a lifetime best of 21.90.
The line-up also features Jenna Prandini, world champion in the 4x100 relay in Eugene 2022 and Olympic silver medallist in the 4x100 relay in Tokyo 2021, Anavia Battle, who set her 200m PB of 21.95 at the US Trials in 2021, Maboundou Koné from Ivory Coast, second in the 200m at the African Championships in 2024 and Amy Hunt from Great Britain, Olympic silver medallist in Paris and European champion in Rome in the 4x100 relay.
Men’s triple jump:
Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez won the Olympic bronze medal in the men’s triple jump with 17.64m in Paris exactly 12 years after his coach Fabrizio Donato finished third at the Olympic Games in London 2012. Diaz claimed the Diamond League Trophy in Zurich 2022 and Eugene 2023. The triple jumper of Cuban origin took the win in last year’s edition of the Golden Gala in Florence with 17.75m improving Donato’s Italian record by 15 cm.
Diaz Hernandez will face Fabrice Hugues Zango from Burkina Faso, gold medallist at the World Championships in Budapest with 17.64m and at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow 2024 with 17.53m. He also collected two bronze medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 and the World Championships in Doha 2019 and the silver medal at the World Championships in Eugene 2022. He finished fifth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 17.50m.
The line-up also features Lazaro Martinez from Cuba, world silver medallist in Budapest 2023 and world indoor champion in Belgrade 2021, Max Hess, European champion in Amsterdam 2016 and seventh at the Olympic Games in Paris with 17.38m, and Andrea Dallavalle from Italy, European silver medallist in Munich and fourth at the World Championships in Eugene 2022.
Women’s 3000 metres steeplechase:
Barhain’s Winfred Yavi will go head to head against Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai in a clash between the winners of the past two editions of the Olympic Games.
Yavi won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase setting the Olympic record with 8:52.76. Yavi is aiming to defend the Diamond League title she won last year in Eugene in 8:50.66 a few weeks after her world gold medal in Budapest. She is chasing her second Diamond League race this season following her victory in Paris in 9:03.68.
Chemutai won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2021 and finished second in Paris 2024 in a national record of 8:53.34. Chemutai won the first Diamond League race of her career in Eugene in 8:55.09.
The entire Olympic podium is completed by Kenyan 20-year-old Faith Cherotich, who won the bronze medal in Paris in 8:55.15 one year after finishing third at the World Championships in Budapest. The other athletes to watch are Norah Jeruto from Kazakhstan, world champion in Eugene 2022, US athletes Courtney Wayment, NCAA champion in 2022, and Valerie Constien, winner at the US Trials in Eugene in 9:03.22. The 9 minutes barrier could be broken for the first time in the history of the Golden Gala. Sembo Almayew set the meeting record with 9:00.71 in Florence in 2023.
Men’s 5000 metres:
Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi will go head-to-head against his compatriots Selemon Barega, Yomif Kejelcha, Hagos Gebrhiwet, Biniam Mehary, Talahun Haile Bekele, Dominic Lobalu from Switzerland, USA’s Grant Fisher, Nicholas Kipkorir, Jacob Krop and Ronald Kwemoi and Mohamed Ahmed from Canada.
Aregawi won the Olympic silver medal in the 10000 metres in a lifetime best of 26:43.44 in Paris and finished fourth over the same distance at the World Championships in Budapest 2023.
Kejelcha finished second in the 5000m in 12:38.95 at this year’s Bislett Games in Oslo. He won the 10000m at the Ethiopian Trials in the 10000m 26:31.01 and finished seventh in 26:44.02 at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Barega won the Olympic gold medal in the 10000m in Tokyo 2021 and the world silver medal In the 5000m in Doha 2019. He finished seventh in the 10000 metres at the Olympic Games in Paris this year in a fast 26.44.48 and set seasonal best times of 26:34.93 in the 10000m at the Ethiopian Trials and 12:51.60 in the 5000m in Los Angeles.
Gebrhiwet won the 5000m in Oslo this year breaking Kenenisa Bekele’s Ethiopian record with 12:36.73 and won the Olympic bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and two world medals (silver in Moscow 2013 and bronze in Beijing 2015).
Bekele won the 5000m at the Golden Gala in 2019 in 12:52.98 and set his PB of 12:42.70 in Monaco in 2023. Mehary set the African under 20 record in the 10000m with 26:37.93 and clocked 12:54.10 in the 5000m.
Fisher won two Olympic bronze medals in the 5000m in 13:15.13 and in the 10000m in 26:43.46. The US athlete holds North American records of 7:25.47 in the 3000 metres, 12:46.96 in the 5000 metres, 26:33.84 in the 10000m.
Ahmed finished fourth in the 10000m at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 in 26:43.79 and won the 5000 metres in Tokyo 2021 in 12:58.61.
Lobalu returns to the Rome Olympic Stadium, where he won the gold medal in the 10000m and the bronze medal in the 5000m at the European Championships. He set the Swiss record in the 3000 metres clocking 7:27.68 at the London Diamond League.
Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli and Jacop Krop made their breakthrough when they finished first and second at the Rome Golden Gala clocking 12:46.33 and 12:46.79 respectively. Krop improved his PB to 12:45.71 in Brussels in 2022 and won the world silver medal in the 5000m in Eugene 2022. Kwemoi won the Olympic silver medal in the 5000m in Paris2024 and set a world under 20 record in the 1500m with 3:28.81.
