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Coming up Friday in the Diamond League is the annual Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome’s famed Stadio Olimpico, with a superb line-up, including eight Olympic gold medalists from Paris:
● Men/200 m: Letsile Tebogo (BOT)
● Men/Shot: Ryan Crouser (USA)
● Men/Discus: Roja Stona (JAM)
● Women/1,500 m: Faith Kipyegon (KEN)
● Women/Steeple: Winfred Yavi (BRN)
● Women/100 m hurdles: Masai Russell (USA)
● Women/Pole Vault: Nina Kennedy (AUS)
● Women/Long Jump: Tara Davis-Woodhall (USA)
Tebogo will be in the men’s 100 m with Jamaican Paris silver winner and world leader Kishane Thompson (JAM), bronzer Fred Kerley of the U.S., 2019 World Champion Christian Coleman and Tokyo 2020 winner Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy.
Crouser had a bad time at the prior meet on Sunday in Poland, barely getting any sleep after his trip over and then, after taking the lead in the fifth round, saw triple Olympic silver winner Joe Kovacs slip by for the win with a better fifth-round toss. Kovacs will be back in action in Rome, as will home favorite (and European champ) Leonardo Fabbri.
Jamaica’s Stona was such an upset winner in the Paris men’s discus that he’s never been in a Diamond League meet before! This will be his debut, facing silver medalist and world-record holder Mykolas Alekna (LTU), Paris bronzer Matt Denny (AUS), Tokyo Olympic champ Daniel Stahl (SWE) and 2022 World Champion Kristjian Ceh (SLO). This might be the best event on the program.
Kipyegon won her third straight Olympic women’s 1,500 m title in Paris, but will have quality challengers in silver medalist Jessica Hull (AUS), World Indoor Champion Freweyni Hailu (ETH), plus Olympic 10,000 m silver winner Nadia Battocletti of Italy.
The whole women’s Steeple podium returns, with winner Yavi, Tokyo winner and Paris runner-up Peruth Chemutai (UGA), and bronzer Faith Cherotich (KEN), along with U.S. Trials winner Val Constien, and Courtney Wayment.
Masai Russell of the U.S. is the world leader in the women’s 100 m hurdles, but barely won in Tokyo and was fourth at the Silesia meet last Sunday. She gets to deal with Paris silver winner Cyrela Samba-Mayela of France, Jamaica’s Ackera Nugert – the winner in Poland – plus Tokyo runner-up Keni Harrison of the U.S.
Australia’s Nina Kennedy won the Paris women’s vault, after sharing the 2023 Worlds gold. American Sandi Morris, the two-time World Indoor winner, will challenge, as will Canada’s Paris bronzer, Alysha Newman.
Davis-Woodhall had to be one of the most overjoyed winners in Paris and while husband Hunter Woodhall is getting ready to compete at the Paralympics, she’s jumping in Rome. Fellow Americans Jasmine Moore – the bronze medalist – and Quanesha Burks figure to be her main challengers.
The loudest cheers at the meet, however, may be for Tokyo 2020 men’s high jump co-champ Gianmarco Tamberi.
The Golden Gala will be shown live in the U.S. on NBC’s Peacock streaming service at 3 p.m. Eastern, with a replay on cable on CNBC on Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern.
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