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≡ ROME DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
The annual Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome was on for Thursday, with
● Men/110 m hurdles: 12.98, Trey Cunningham (USA)
● Men/Javelin: 92.62 m (303-10), Rumesh Pathirage (SRI)
● Women/5,000 m: 14:18.41, Likina Amebaw (ETH)
● Women/400 m hurdles: 52.58, Emma Zapletalova (SVK)
The meet exploded with the first event, as Pathirage led after the first round at 84.49 m (277-2), then reached a sensational 92.62 m (303-10) for the world lead and a national record! He didn’t throw again, he’s no. 8 all time!
Grenada’s two-time World Champion Anderson Peters (GRN) was second at 83.91 m (275-3) and then Worlds bronzer Curtis Thompson (USA: 83.89 m/275-2) a tight third. Wow.
A little later, the men’s 110 hurdles saw 2022 Worlds runner-up Cunningham got out best and he and countryman Jamal Britt dueled, with Cunningham hot all the way through. Britt, a two-time Diamond League winner this season, essentially caught up by the seventh hurdle, but in pushing for the lead after the eighth, caught the ninth hurdles and fell.
Cunningham, in his season opener, never wavered and flew across the finish in a world-leading, lifetime best of 12.98 (+0.5), the 29th man to go sub-13. He’s now no. 16 all-time U.S. Jamaica’s Orlando Bennett ended up second in 13.31; Britt did finish, in 26.75.
The women’s 5,000 m had Olympic Steeple champ Winfred Yavi (BAH) in front early, but came down to a three-way battle between Ethiopians Aleshign Baweke, Amebaw and Freweyni Hailu on the final lap and down the final straight, Baweke looked like the winner, but Amebaw came from third in the final 40 m to win at the line in a lifetime best, 14:81.41 to 14:18.54 to 14:18.94! Amebaw is now no. 15 on the all-time list.
Zapletalova beat American Olympic silver winner Anna Cockrell in Rabat and went even faster this time, taking over into the home straight and finishing in another national record of 52.58, with Cockrell second in 52.77. Rio 2016 Olympic champ Dalilah Muhammad – clearly unretired – was fourth in 53.39 and Jasmine Jones was sixth in 53.92.
The advertised highlight of the meet was the men’s 100, with Paris Olympic champ Noah Lyles of the U.S., Tokyo Olympic winner Lamont Jacobs (ITA) and U.S. 60 m World Indoor winner Jordan Anthony. Plus Botswana’s Paris 200 winner Letsile Tebogo (BOT), Kenyan star Ferdinand Omanyala and South Africa’s Akani Simbine! Woah.
And the race did not disappoint. Anthony got out best and had the lead by 50 m, but Lyles got going and moved smoothly to the front and took the win in 9.88 (+0.4). Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme moved strongly in lane one and was second in the final 10 m in 9.94 (a national record). Anthony fell back a little and Tebogo passed him for third in 9.95 to 9.96. Jacobs ran 9.99 for fifth, fastest in two years.
The men’s 800 m was a tactical affair, with France’s Gabriel Tual taking over with 200 m to go and getting to the line first in 1:43.66, with Ireland’s Mark English rocketing from sixth to second in the final 100 m for second in 1:43.80. Americans Bryce Hoppel (1:44.45) and Donavan Brazier (1:44.45) were seventh and eighth.
Rising Mexican star Erick Portillo had the lead in the men’s high jump at 2.24 m (7-4 1/4), but was passed by Italy’s Matteo Sioli, who cleared 2.26 m (7-5) on his second try to take the lead. Portillo could not match and finished second, but Sioli continued to 2.28 m (7-5 3/4) on his second try. Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford cleared 2.23 m (7-3 3/4) for third; American JuVaughn Harrison was ninth at 2.16 m (7-1).
Cuban Jorge Hodelin got out to 8.18 m (26-10) in round three and had the lead in the men’s long jump, ahead of Bozhidar Saraboyukov (BUL: 8.13 m/26-8 1/4) and Olympic champ Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE: 8.11 m/26-7 1/4). But Tentoglou had more to give and sailed out to 8.20 m (26-11) in round five, then extended to 8.24 m (27-0 1/2) in the sixth. But on the final jump of the day, Saraboyukov launched out to 8.26 m (27-1 1/4) to steal the victory!
It took until the fifth round, but Italy’s two-time World Indoor winner Andy Diaz got a home win in the triple jump at 17.59 m (57-8 1/2), overtaking Jamaica’s Jordan Scott, who then responded with a final round jump of 17.33 m (56-10 1/4). American Russell Robinson was sixth at 16.40 m (53-9 3/4).
Italian fans wanted the men’s shot to be a showcase for countryman Leonardo Fabbri, and he delivered a bomb in round three at 22.14 m (72-7 3/4) to take over. Two-time World Champion Joe Kovacs of the U.S., the world leader, reached 21.87 m (71-9) for second, ahead of World and Olympic champ Ryan Crouser, at 21.50 m (70-6 1/2) from round two. American Jordan Geist was fifth at 21.30 m (69-10 3/4).
The women’s 200 m had 2024 Olympic silver winner Julien Alfred (LCA) in lane eight, with World Champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden a lane inside in her season opener. American star Jefferson-Wooden was off well, but on the straight, Alfred was too strong and won eased up in 21.93 (+1.3). Jefferson-Wooden was a clear second in 22.17, then Tokyo Olympian Anavia Battle of the U.S. (22.39).
American Aaliyah Butler led the women’s 400 m coming into the home straight, but it was Norwegian star Henriette Jaeger pushed hardest and won in 49.60. Czech Lurdes Manuel was close for second in 49.77 and Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce got third (49.80). Butler was fourth in 49.83; Britain’s 800 m hero, Kelly Hodgkinson, tried one lap and was seventh in a lifetime best o 51.14.
World Indoor champ Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) headlined the women’s 1,500 m, but it was U.S. champ Nikki Hiltz and 2024 World Indoor runner-up Jemma Reekie (GBR) at the bell. Hunter Bell moved up on bell with 300 m to go and was in the lead off the turn. She was in front right to the line in 3:58.63, with Pole Klaudia Kazimierska edging Hiltz – in her season opener – for second at the line, 3:59.24 to 3:59.26. Heather MacLean of the U.S. was 12th in 4:06.74.
In the women’s 100 m hurdles, Jamaica’s Megan Simmonds led early and held off American Keni Harrison, the former world-record holder, 12.50 to 12.54 (+0.8). Fellow American Tonea Marshall was seventh (12.76).
The women’s vault was a win for British World Indoor champ Molly Caudery, winning on misses over Australia’s Olympic champ Nina Kennedy at 4.80 m (15-9). American Sandi Morris, herself a World Indoor gold medalist, was fifth at 4.60 m (15-1).
The Diamond League heads to Stockholm (SWE) for the Bauhaus Galan on Sunday.
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