Golden Gala, great throws in Rome

With just ten days to go, it’s time to focus our attention on the single events which will highlight the 30th edition of the Golden Gala, the fourth leg of the IAAF Diamond League. In the stadium which was highlighted by the feats of the greatest sprinters and has become the temple of middle distance running, fabulous throwing competitions will be in the spotlight this year. The men’s shot put will assemble all the most titled big men of this event: the US putters Christian Cantwell, world gold medallist in Berlin 2009 and world indoor medallist in Doha last March, who has already put 21.82 this season, and Reese Hoffa, gold medallist in Osaka 2007, Pole Tomasz Majewski, olympic champion in Bejing 2008 and world silver medallist last year in Berlin, German Ralf Bartels, world outdoor and indoor bronze medallist in Berlin and Doha. It’s a sort of olympic final where the long-standing meeting record of 21.67 set by East German Ulf Timmermann back in 1986 may be under threat. The men’s discus throw will be also of the highest quality. The starting list is led by Estonia’s Gerd Kanter, olympic champion in Bejing and world bronze medallist in Berlin and world seasonal leader with a remarkable 71.45 already achieved at the end of April 2010, German Robert Harting, world champion in Berlin 2009, Hungary’s Zoltan Kovago, who threw the discus to 69.69 when he won the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai. The women’s javelin throw will be highlighted by Czech Barbora Spotakova, the reigning olympic champion and world record holder and IAAF Diamond League Ambassador, and German Christina Obergföll, olympic bronze medallist and 2007 world silver medallist in Osaka.