Golden Gala, Marcell Jacobs with 18 other Azzurri.
Golden Gala, the participants
Rome. In front of the home audience. To continue to give emotions on another magical night. There are 19 Italians who will participate in the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea – Presented by IP on Friday evening, August 30 at the Olympic Stadium, starting at 7:30 pm. Some of them had already been announced in recent weeks, others were confirmed today with the publication of the entry lists (still others may be announced in the coming days). Two of the blue medalists from the Paris Olympics will be among the big stars of the Italian leg of the Wanda Diamond League, now in its 44th edition. È ready to shine again Nadia Battocletti (Fiamme Azzurre), double gold medalist at the European Championships in the same stadium, but above all silver medalist at the Games in the 10,000 meters: this time she will try her hand at the distance of 1500 meters, in the presence of her majesty Faith Kipyegon (Kenya), three-time Olympic gold medalist in the specialty. Also competing will be the newly crowned Italian champion Sintayehu Vissa (Atl. Brugnera Friulintagli) and the’other Italian national Ludovica Cavalli (Aeronautica). In the triple jump, after having had to forgo the European Championships in Rome because he is not yet ‘eligible’; for the blue jersey, Olympic bronze medalist and two-time Diamond League champion Andy Diaz ;(Fiamme Gialle) can shine, who will find world champion Hugues Fabrice Zango (Burkina Faso) under the Tiber grandstand. Also on the platform will be the 2022 European silver medalist Andrea Dallavalle (Fiamme Gialle).
The great expectation of the Olympic stadiumè for the presence of the Tokyo champions, icons of Italian athletics, Marcell Jacobs (Fiamme Oro) and Gianmarco Tamberi (Fiamme Oro), who came out of the Paris Games with different feelings and moods. Jacobs, fifth in the 100, fourth with the relay, will return to the Golden Gala after four years, to face galactic opponents including 200 Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo (Botswana), 100 silver medalist Kishane Thompson (Jamaica), bronze medalist Fred Kerley (USA) winner of the last two editions of the meeting named after legend Pietro Mennea. But also Christian Coleman (USA), Ferdinand Omanyala (Kenya) and the’other Italian Chituru Ali (Fiamme Gialle), this year for the first time under ten seconds (9.96) after winning the European silver in Rome just behind Jacobs. In the high jump, the Curva Sud can’t wait to get fired up for Tamberi, who was held back at the Games by health problems, just weeks after hitting a marvelous European gold in the capital with a measurement of 2.37 that stands as the world’s best jump of the year. The’goal è to break the Golden Gala tabù considering that in his five previous participations he’has never managed to bring home the win. He will meet Olympic champion Hamish Kerr and the future of Italy’s tall, Stefano Sottile (Fiamme Azzurre), fantastic fourth in Paris with a personal best of 2.34.
From the feats of the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow and the European Championships in Rome, through a less brilliant Olympics than they had hoped for, to the Golden Gala: they are eager to give themselves a strong finish Leonardo Fabbri (Aeronautica) and Lorenzo Simonelli (Esercito). Fabbri, fifth at the Games with the’only competition of his spring/summer under 22 meters in the weight, returns to the platform that saw him star in June and that this time hosts all the top people around, namely the’entire Olympic podium: Ryan Crouser (USA), Joe Kovacs (USA) and Rajindra Campbell (Jamaica). There’è Rome also for the’other blue Zane Weir (Yellow Flames), European indoor champion last season. Among the hurdles under the Monte Mario grandstand, Simonelli built a marvelous victory at the European Championships, topped by an Italian record of 13.05, before being eliminated in the 110hs semifinals at the Stade de France. At home he’ll be up against, among others, Spain’s Enrique Llopis fourth in Paris, and Jamaica’s Omar McLeod Olympic gold medalist in Rio and meet record holder with a 13.01 in 2021. One lane also for Hassane Fofana (Golden Flames).
From the Paris pole vault final come Elisa Molinarolo (Fiamme Oro) and Roberta Bruni (Carabinieri), the first Italian women able to reach this goal: headlights on Olympic champion Nina Kennedy (Australia). The revelation of the year Luca Sito (Cus Pro Patria Milano) can enjoy a dreamy night in a fabulous 400, on the track of his EuroRoma 2024 Italian record (44.75): the Azzurro finds Saint Denis Quincy Hall (USA) gold in the race dedicated to the late Italian fourcenter Andrea Barberi. Four hundred with hurdles for Ayomide Folorunso (Fiamme Oro) fifth in the Diamond League leg in Lausanne Thursday night: entered by Olympic runner-up Anna Cockrell (USA). In the 200, it’s Dalia Kaddari (Gold Flames)’s turn against Paris bronze medalist Brittany Brown (USA). In the ‘rematch’ of the Olympic discus final, with Jamaican gold medalist Roje Stona, Lithuanian silver medalist and world record holder Mykolas Alekna and Australian bronze medalist Matthew Denny, è an honor to be there for Alessio Mannucci (Aeronautica).
