Five Meeting Records Fall at the Palio della Quercia in Rovereto
Five meeting records highlighted a memorable 62nd edition of the Palio della Quercia at Rovereto’s Stadio Quercia, where Bayanda Walaza, Rajindra Campbell, Jamal Britt, Yusuf Bizimana and Yasser Triki produced standout performances on a warm evening. Walaza clocked 9.91 in the men’s 100m, Campbell reached 22.17m in the shot put, Britt ran 13.14 in the 110m hurdles, Bizimana won the 800m in 1:43.31 and Triki leapt 17.30m in the triple jump. Italian star Nadia Battocletti also delighted the home crowd by winning the women’s 1500m in 3:59.49.
Men’s 100m
Bayanda Walaza stormed to victory in the men’s 100m in 9.91 (+0.5 m/s), breaking the meeting record of 9.98 set by Marvin Bracy in 2021.
Walaza dipped under 10 seconds for the fourth time this season, confirming the excellent form that has carried him through the European circuit. The South African set his personal best of 9.89 in Banská Bystrica and matched it in Belgrade, while also clocking 9.94 in Ostrava. He previously won in Lucerne in 10.05 and Brescia in 10.00.
Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu finished second, equalling his season’s best of 10.01. Canada’s Eliezer Adjibi took third in 10.09, ahead of Jamaica’s Kadrian Goldson in 10.12.
Bayanda Walaza: “Rovereto is the perfect place for me. My teammate told me this was a great meeting with a good track. Last year I had a difficult injury, so it was important to get back to racing. Every time I step on the track, I feel blessed, and the crowd gave me a lot of support. To come here late in the season and run 9.91 feels amazing. I knew I had a good time in me, but breaking the meeting record makes it even more special. It is all about consistency, discipline and trusting the execution. My body feels great and mentally I am racing with a lot of confidence and no fear.”
Men’s 100m B Race
Germany’s Simon Wulff won the men’s 100m B race in 10.14, with Italy’s Erik Marek improving his personal best by two hundredths of a second to finish second in 10.18.
Women’s 100m
Three-time Olympic champion Gabby Thomas won the women’s 100m B race in 11.01, missing Natasha Morrison’s meeting record by just one hundredth of a second. US 100m hurdles specialist Rayniah Jones finished second, equalling her personal best of 11.29, while Switzerland’s Salomé Kora placed third in 11.31.
Thomas returned to the track an hour later and completed a sprint double by winning the A race in 11.02. Austria’s Christania Williams finished second in 11.18, with Jamaica’s Sabrina Dockery third in 11.25.
Gabby Thomas: “I love this meeting. The crowd was incredible and I am happy with my two races. It was good preparation for the Ultimate Championship, where I expect to run fast in the 200m. To come to beautiful Rovereto and leave with two solid 100m wins, under constant pressure and within such a short period, was exactly the test I needed at this stage of the season. The goal was to regain that feeling in the starting blocks and put some competitive racing back into my legs. Running almost identical times in both races shows that the training is moving in the right direction and that the consistency is there.”
Men’s Shot Put
Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell, the 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, won the men’s shot put with a meeting record of 22.17m, surpassing the previous mark set by Zane Weir in 2023.
Campbell extended his outstanding run of form after winning in Brescia with 22.59m and setting a Jamaican record of 23.08m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels. He produced an impressively consistent series in Rovereto, recording marks of 21.57m, 22.12m, 22.17m, 21.95m and 22.09m.
Payton Otterdahl finished second with a season’s best of 21.81m, ahead of European silver medallist Zane Weir (21.17m). Scott Lincoln placed fourth with 20.77m.
Rajindra Campbell: “I really enjoyed this competition. Coming to Rovereto and throwing beyond 22 metres three times shows that the consistency is there. I knew the competition would be tight with Payton and Zane in the circle, so I had to be aggressive from the start. Setting the meeting record at such a historic event is a great honour.”
Men’s Triple Jump
Two-time world indoor medallist Yasser Triki of Algeria won the men’s triple jump with 17.30m in the fifth round, breaking the meeting record of 17.27m set by world record-holder Jonathan Edwards in 2001.
Triki also produced two further jumps beyond 17 metres, reaching 17.15m in the second round and 17.17m in the sixth.
Yasser Triki: “It feels incredible. Jonathan Edwards is a legend of our sport, so hearing that I had broken his record here in Rovereto gave me chills. The runway felt fast and my rhythm was exactly where it needed to be. I knew I had to produce something special against Andy, who has been in unbelievable form all year. To jump 17.30m with no wind on my fifth attempt was perfect. My coach told me to trust my phases and stay aggressive through the step. When I hit the board, I felt the extension immediately. It is an amazing way to head into the off-season.”
European champion and four-time Diamond League winner Andy Díaz finished second with 17.00m, while world silver medallist Andrea Dallavalle placed third with 16.44m.
Andy Díaz: “To be completely honest, I am exhausted. It has been a long and demanding season, with the European title, the World Indoor Championships and the pursuit of big marks throughout the Diamond League. The power was not fully there in my legs tonight and my accuracy on the board was not sharp. I congratulate Yasser—he jumped brilliantly and fully deserved the win and the record. We achieved our main goals by winning the big titles. I will take a short break, recharge and then begin preparing to target the world record again next year.”
Men’s 800m
Yusuf Bizimana claimed his second consecutive 800m victory on Italian soil, setting a meeting record of 1:43.31 just 10 days after winning in Brescia.
France’s Louey Querrat finished second in 1:43.73 following his victory in Bellinzona, while Maciej Wyderka improved his personal best to 1:43.79 in third.
Yusuf Bizimana: “I am on cloud nine. I knew the field was incredibly deep and that athletes such as Louey and Maciej would make it a fast race. To win in 1:43.31, lower my personal best and set the meeting record in Rovereto is surreal. I felt strong coming off the final bend and, when I saw the opening, I gave it everything I had left.”
Men’s 800m B Race
Laban Chepkwony Kipkorir won the men’s 800m B race in 1:44.11.
Men’s 110m Hurdles
Jamal Britt powered to victory in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.14 (+1.3 m/s), breaking Roger Kingdom’s 36-year-old meeting record of 13.27, set in 1990.
Britt capped an excellent season in which he won five Diamond League races and lowered his personal best to 12.86 in Eugene. His US compatriot Jamar Marshall finished second in 13.19, ahead of European U23 champion Enzo Diessl in 13.29.
Jamal Britt: “I am happy with this race, especially because my previous race did not end well. Winning in Rovereto and breaking the meeting record means a lot to me. Jamar pushed me hard out of the blocks, so I knew I had to clean up my execution over the middle hurdles to hold him off. Everything is coming together at the right time. My coach and I have put in a lot of specific work on my lead-leg action and hurdle clearance. Running 13.14 proves that the consistency is where it needs to be. The crowd was fantastic—Italy always brings a special kind of track and field energy.”
Women’s 1500m
Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, the world indoor 3000m champion and European 5000m and 10,000m champion, won the women’s 1500m at the Palio della Quercia for the second consecutive year.
Battocletti clocked 3:59.49 in only her second race over the distance this season, following the Italian record of 3:57.54 she set in Bellinzona. France’s Agathe Guillemot finished second in 4:02.12, while Margot Appleton improved her personal best to 4:02.17 in third. Ireland’s Sarah Healy placed fourth in 4:02.72.
Nadia Battocletti: “It has been a tough season and I thank my team for their support. I wanted to put on an even bigger show and run faster, but I was not feeling completely sharp. When I saw that the pacemaker was too far ahead, I stopped thinking about the time and focused on winning. Starting tomorrow, it is holiday time, and I am going to enjoy it fully—especially when I think about the next two years ahead.”
Men’s 400m
World indoor champion Christopher Morales Williams earned his second consecutive 400m victory in Rovereto, winning in 44.64. Belgium’s Daniel Segers finished second in 45.04, ahead of three-time Olympic and world medallist Kirani James in 45.11.
Christopher Morales Williams: “This win is a confidence boost. The season has not been bad and the indoor campaign was perfect. I have two more races at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest, and I am excited to have another chance to run fast at the end of the season.”
Women’s 400m
Ireland’s Sharlene Mawdsley, a member of the victorious 4x400m mixed relay team at the 2024 European Championships in Rome, won the women’s 400m in 50.58. She edged Britain’s Charlotte Henrich, who clocked 50.70, while Paris Peoples of the United States finished third in 51.19.
Women’s 400m Hurdles
Zimbabwe’s Ashley Miller won the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.64. Two-time World University Games champion Alice Muraro improved her season’s best to 54.84 in second, while Anja Dlauhy took third in 55.69, ahead of France’s Louise Maraval in 56.16.
Women’s 800m
Gabriela Gajanová won the women’s 800m in a season’s best of 1:58.37, beating Rachel Pellaud (1:58.83) and US athlete Nia Akins, who also recorded a season’s best of 1:58.88.
Men’s 3000m
Nineteen-year-old Kenyan rising star Franklin Kibet, the 2026 world U20 5000m champion in Eugene, won the men’s 3000m in 7:36.55. He narrowly held off compatriot Danson Kiplangat, who finished second in 7:36.77.
Men’s High Jump
Italy’s Manuel Lando, sixth at the 2024 European Championships in Rome, cleared 2.25m on his first attempt to win the men’s high jump. Lando finished just one centimetre below his personal best of 2.26m, which he cleared twice during the 2025 indoor season.
Japan’s Tomohiro Shinno, the 2022 winner in Rovereto, and Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford shared second place with 2.22m.
Women’s Pole Vault
Norway’s Kitty Friele Faye cleared 4.51m on her second attempt to win the women’s pole vault. Italy’s Sonia Malavisi finished second with 4.42m.
Women’s Long Jump
Cyprus’ Filippa Fotopoulou leapt 6.67m in the opening round to win the women’s long jump. Burkina Faso’s Marthe Koala placed second with 6.59m into a 0.6 m/s headwind.
