Compeed Golden Gala, Vlasic comes to Rome

Another big name is added to the cast of the Compeed Golden Gala. On 26 May the women’s high jump will also feature reigning World and European champion Blanka Vlasic. The Croatian, who narrowly missed Stefka Kostadinova’s 2.09 world record by just one centimetre in Zagreb 2009. Kostadinova set this historic record at the Olympic Stadium during the 1987 World Championships. On the Rome track Vlasic has already won four times in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. In the last edition of the meeting she cleared 2.03 equalling the meeting record. The only athlete who was able to break Vlasic’s winning streak at the Golden Gala was Italian jumper Antonietta Di Martino in 2009. The Italian record holder, who cleared 2.04 setting the National Indoor record and won the European Indoor title in Paris, chose to start her season on 26 May in Rome. Other top names announced in the women’s high jump clash will be Swedish star Emma Green, European Indoor silver medallist in Barcelona, and Spaniard Ruth Beitia, reigning World and European Indoor silver medallist. However, Sudanese World Indoor champion Abubaker Kaki, has pulled out of the Golden Gala due to physical problems.