Ajayi and Alekna highlight Galà dei Castelli meeting in Bellinzona
Kanyinsola Ajayi and Mykolas Alekna produced the standout performances at the 15th edition of the Galà dei Castelli in Bellinzona, where 6,030 spectators packed the Stadio Comunale. World 400m hurdles record-holder Alison dos Santos did not compete but attended the meeting as a special guest.
Men’s 100m
Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi, the NCAA champion and winner of two Diamond League races in London and Eugene this season, stormed to victory in the men’s 100m in 9.91. He missed Asafa Powell’s meeting record by just four hundredths of a second.
Ronnie Baker and Akani Simbine also dipped under the 10-second barrier, clocking 9.94 and 9.95 respectively. European champion Romell Glave of Great Britain finished fourth in 10.02.
Kanyinsola Ajayi: “I feel great. I knew the track in Bellinzona was fast and that the crowd here was very warm, but tonight the atmosphere was truly special. Running 9.91 without any wind assistance and beating competitors of this calibre gives me a huge boost. It means the work I have done with my coach is paying off in the right way.”
Men’s discus throw
World record-holder Mykolas Alekna won the men’s discus with an opening-round throw of 71.50m, improving Lars Riedel’s meeting record of 69.04m set in 1996.
Alekna backed up his winning mark with another throw beyond 71 metres, reaching 71.07m in the second round. He also recorded three more valid efforts of 67.19m, 69.06m and 68.53m.
The Lithuanian star followed in the footsteps of his father, Virgilijus Alekna, who won at this meeting in 2012 with 68.79m.
Jamaica’s Rojé Stona threw 68.14m in the opening round to finish second, while Germany’s Henrik Janssen placed third with 67.19m.
Mykolas Alekna: “I knew the throwing circle in Bellinzona was excellent and that the Galà dei Castelli organisers had created a fantastic environment, but breaking the 71-metre barrier tonight is an amazing result. I wanted to give my absolute best in front of this incredible crowd, and it feels wonderful to leave my mark by surpassing the record of a legend like Riedel.”
Women’s pole vault
Two-time European champion Angelica Moser cleared 4.77m to win a women’s pole vault competition featuring the top three finishers from the Weltklasse Zürich event at the city’s main railway station.
Moser opened her competition with a first-time clearance at 4.57m before needing two attempts at 4.67m. The 28-year-old Swiss star then cleared 4.77m on her first attempt to secure victory in front of her home crowd.
Sandi Morris cleared 4.67m at the first attempt to finish second, beating Hana Moll on countback.
Angelica Moser: “I thank the crowd for their amazing support. I was happy to compete in Bellinzona. It was a difficult competition, and I am a little tired. The highlight of my season was winning the European title in Birmingham. The season is not over, as I will compete at the Diamond League Final in Brussels and the Ultimate Championships in Budapest.”
Women’s 100m hurdles
Rayniah Jones of the United States stormed to victory in the women’s 100m hurdles, setting a meeting record of 12.44 with a following wind of 0.7 m/s.
Jamaica’s Megan Simmonds finished second in 12.53, while Swiss world champion Ditaji Kambundji placed third in 12.71.
Rayniah Jones: “I feel pretty good. I showed my progress, and I am happy with my season. I knew coming into Bellinzona that the field was incredibly deep and that I would have to execute a clean race. To come out here, get the win and set a meeting record in front of this amazing crowd is just a beautiful feeling.
“The track felt fast, the energy in the stadium was high and everything clicked today. We have been working a lot on the transition from the start into the first three hurdles. Sometimes I tend to rush my steps, but today I felt very patient and precise. Once I reached the fifth hurdle, I felt my top-end speed taking over. I just focused on keeping my posture clean and snapping my lead leg down quickly.”
Men’s 110m hurdles
World record-holder Ja’Kobe Tharp won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.15, finishing ahead of World University Games champion Tatsuki Abe of Japan, who clocked 13.23.
Jamar Marshall placed third in 13.28, with Belgium’s Elie Bacari fourth in 13.31.
Ja’Kobe Tharp: “I did not run my best race, but a win is a win. The atmosphere and scenery at the meeting were amazing, and the crowd brought a lot of energy. This late in the season, it is all about staying focused, executing clean mechanics and getting the win. I am happy that I could put on a good show for the fans who came out tonight.
“Tatsuki and Jamar are incredible competitors, so I knew I could not look around. My start was okay, but I really found my rhythm around the fourth and fifth hurdles. In this event, if you overthink or tense up, the hurdles will catch you. I trusted my speed between the barriers, focused on snapping my lead leg down and maintained my form all the way to the finish line.”
Women’s 1500m
Nadia Battocletti, the European 5000m and 10,000m champion in Rome and Birmingham, won the women’s 1500m in an Italian and meeting record of 3:57.56.
The previous Italian record of 3:58.11 had been held by Sintayehu Vissa.
Addison Wiley of the United States finished second in 3:58.96, ahead of Asler Areri in 3:59.54. Switzerland’s Joceline Wind also broke the four-minute barrier, clocking 3:59.79 and missing Anita Weyermann’s national record by just 0.59 seconds.
Nadia Battocletti: “I felt tremendous support from the crowd, and the pacemaker did a very good job. Sometimes I perform better when I do not have big expectations. It feels absolutely incredible. This was the only major record missing from my track collection, so completing it tonight in front of a sold-out Stadio Comunale is a beautiful feeling.
“The 1500m is not my primary distance, but after winning the European double in Birmingham and achieving recent Diamond League success, I wanted to come to Bellinzona and allow myself to race with complete freedom. Seeing 3:57 on the clock is a testament to the hard work my father and I have put into this progressive season.”
Men’s 400m hurdles
Qatar’s Bassem Hemeida won the men’s 400m hurdles in a personal best of 47.56, missing Alison dos Santos’s meeting record by just six hundredths of a second.
Caleb Dean of the United States, the 2024 NCAA champion, also broke the 48-second barrier, finishing second in 47.98. Fellow American Chris Robinson took third in 48.44, ahead of Great Britain’s Jake Minshull in 48.62.
Bassem Hemeida: “I am on cloud nine right now. I knew my training had been going perfectly and that I had a fast race in my legs, but seeing 47.56 on the clock is a dream come true. Breaking the 48-second barrier is a massive milestone for any hurdler. Doing it here in Bellinzona, with this amazing atmosphere and track, makes it unforgettable. I am incredibly proud to become the third Qatari in history to achieve this.”
Women’s discus throw
European champion Jorinde van Klinken of the Netherlands produced a first-round throw of 66.86m to win the women’s discus.
Cierra Jackson, who won at the London Diamond League meeting in July, finished second with 65.41m. Dutch thrower Alida van Daalen placed third with 62.59m.
Men’s 800m
Louey Qerrat of France produced a surprise victory in the men’s 800m, breaking Gabriel Tual’s meeting record with a time of 1:43.57.
Tual completed a French one-two by finishing second in 1:44.34. Mexico’s Abraham Alvarado took third in 1:44.76, ahead of Morocco’s Abdelati El Guesse and France’s Corentin Le Clezio, who both clocked 1:44.91.
Women’s 800m
The women’s 800m produced another French one-two, with Rénelle Lamote claiming victory in 1:58.55 after holding off European indoor 1500m champion Agathe Guillemot, who finished just one tenth of a second behind in 1:58.65.
Gabriela Gajanová of Slovakia took third in 1:58.76, ahead of Swiss European finalist Valentina Rosamilia, who clocked 1:59.13.
Men’s 400m
World indoor champion Christopher Morales Williams of Canada won the men’s 400m in 44.44, missing Wayde van Niekerk’s meeting record by just 0.11 seconds.
Women’s 100m
Tamari Davis of the United States claimed victory in the women’s 100m, clocking 11.09 into a headwind of 0.5 m/s.
This year’s Commonwealth Games champion Zoe Hobbs of New Zealand finished second in 11.16, with Canada’s Sade McCreath third in 11.24. Swiss champion Géraldine Frey and world indoor champion Zaynab Dosso shared fourth place in 11.26.
Men’s high jump
JuVaughn Harrison cleared 2.28m on his third attempt to win the men’s high jump.
World indoor champion Oleh Doroshchuk of Ukraine maintained a perfect record through 2.24m before recording three failures at 2.28m. He finished second ahead of Tyus Wilson on countback.
