Golden Gala, press conference quotes

Some of the stars of the Golden Gala which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year spoke in front of the media on the eve of what promises to be another fantastic edition of the major Italian meeting. US high jump record holder Chauntie Howard Lowe was upbeat after her recent 2.04 national record set last week in Cottbus and her 2.01 in Oslo where she lost on a countback to Blanka Vlasic. About her ambitions for tomorrow’s competition? “I feel grateful to compete here against Blanka Vlasic and Antonietta Di Martino. I hope to clear high here.” How can you explain your step forward? “Before my maternity leave I was consistent at 2.01. Last year I jumped 1.98 in most of the meetings because it rained all the time. The birth of my daughter three years ago has had a positive impact on my performances. Since her birth I have become more open to the outside world. This has helped me a lot.” About her ambitions in the long jump?“I jumped 6.61 in Kingston on 1 May taking off with a big margin to spare from the board. I can jump 6.80. I will double long and high jump at the US National Championships.” Vlasic returns to the Rome meeting where she won in 2007 and 2008.Blanka, what do you feel to be IAAF Diamond League Ambassador ? How do you feel returning to Rome? “I am honoured to be Ambassador of the Diamond League. I hope it will be a success. Coming back to Rome is always very nice. It’s a short flight from my home town Split to Rome. Rome has not the best track for me. It’s soft but I have a long experience and I am prepared to compete in every condition.” Vlasic was beaten last year in Rome by local favourite Antonietta Di Martino who thrilled the crowd in the Olympic Stadium with her win clearing 2 metres. Antonietta, what result do you expect? “I have not big expectations for tomorrow. The main thing is to have a good feeling during the competition.

The 100 metres with world seasonal leader Asafa Powell from Jamaica will be one of the highlights of the Rome’s evening. What do you expect tomorrow and this year?“I had a bad competition last year finishing second. This year I hope to run better than last year. I am in very good shape and injury-free. In the past years I was always plagued by injuries. I am now healthy. I probably ran my best race of the year in Ostrava despite very bad conditions". What do you think about Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre ? “He is very young. It’s good to run against him. If he runs under 10 seconds, I think he will continue to improve.”

Powell’s compatriot Shelly Ann Fraser, world and Olympic champion, also hopes to improve last year’s second place in Rome behind fellow Jamaican Kerron Stewart. What do you expect from Rome ? “Last year I lost to Kerron Stewart. I am looking forward to run below 11 seconds. This year I suffered from ankle problems and my previous races were affected by rainy conditions.” Dayron Robles returns to the Rome track where he won in 2008 and 2009. Robles comes to Rome after clocking an impressive 13.12 in pouring rain in Ostrava. “The conditions in Ostrava were dreadful. It rained cats and dogs everywhere. The whole 2010 season has been affected by bad weather so far. It’s my fourth time here in Rome. I am ready to run fast and continue improving.”

Barbora Spotakova will compete for the first time in her career in Rome. “I feel nice to be in Rome. It’s my second competition in this year’s Diamond League. I hope to perform bettere than in Doha where the competition did not go very well. The season has not progressed very well because I suffered from problems in my Achilles’tendon. I like throwing in a big stadium like Rome. I did not perform very well in Ostrava where the atmosphere is more intimate.” Jeremy Wariner will start as the favourite on the track where he set the meeting record in 2006 with 43.62. “I had some mishaps in training. I had a knee injury and I am behind schedule but I feel pretty well. I am slowly getting back in top shape. I hope to continue improving and running a 44 time. ”

US shot put giants Christian Cantwell (two wins in the Diamond League this year in Doha and Oslo) and Reese Hoffa will engage a titanic battle in what promises to be one of the best competitions of the entire Golden Gala. Christian, the USA are producing very strong shot putters now. How can you explain it ?“We have four men in Rome, while two guys who are the best two putters this year, are competing in the USA. We have a great tradition in the College competitions and this makes the event more popular in our country. The shot put is a crazy event in the Diamond League because all the best specialists are there. I had some problems in the first part of the season but I always perform better in the second part” Reese Hoffa is excited to compete for the first time ever in Rome. “There is a big depth in the shot put. I see a positive future for the shot put. I want to have a lot of fun tomorrow and get a good performance. I am looking forward to competing against the best specialists in the world.”

The long jump battle between world champion Dwight Phillips and Olympic champion Irving Saladino will be another highlight amond field events. Phillips, winner in Rome last year with the meeting record of 8.61, is confident that tomorrow’s competition will be so exciting as the shot put. “It’s always exciting to compete in Rome. Italy has been the first place where I competed in my professional career. You see a great competition. There have not been good competitions so far this year but I am sure tomorrow will be exciting. Saladino is confident that Rome will mark a comeback after some lucklustre performances in 2009 and 2010. “I had an injury which slowed my preparation. I have a good feeling and good expectations for the 2010 season. I am fit and I hope to show a good performance.”