English
The king of speed is ready to fly in the 100 metres in Rome. The Golden Gala Pietro Mennea is excited to announce the presence of Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles at the 46th edition, scheduled for Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Olympic Stadium. The American sprinter, one of the most influential and recognisable athletes in global athletics in recent years, will be among the brightest stars of the fifth leg of the Wanda Diamond League, the first in Europe this season. Tickets for this unmissable evening of sport are already on sale online at TicketOne.
LYLES QUOTE – “One of my favourite races ever was in Rome against Michael Norman. I’m hoping this time brings another one like that”, said Noah Lyles, recalling his first appearance at the Golden Gala in 2019. In the coming weeks, full information on the 100m race and Lyles’s opponents will be revealed, but it’s already clear that the sprint will be one of the highlights, with a stellar lineup expected.
19.72, AN ICONIC TIME IN ROME – There’s a detail that symbolically links Noah Lyles to the Golden Gala. During his appearance seven years ago, the American ran the 200 meters in 19.72, the same iconic time as Pietro Mennea, after whom Italy’s main athletics meeting is named. That mark, set 47 years ago, still stands as the European record, having been the world record until 1996. In the 2019 edition, at just 22 years old and shortly before winning the world 200m title in Doha, Lyles finished second in a spectacular duel with fellow American Michael Norman, who set the meeting record at 19.70.
AN INCREDIBLE CAREER – Every race is a show. Whenever Noah Lyles steps on the track, all eyes are on him. At 28 years, is among the most successful sprinters in history: Olympic gold in the 100m at Paris 2024, two Olympic bronzes in the 200m (Tokyo and Paris), eight world gold medals across the 100m (2023), 200m (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), and 4x100m relay (2019, 2023, 2025), plus six Diamond League Trophies. Italian fans also remember his world U20 gold medal ten years ago in Bydgoszcz 2016, where Filippo Tortu took silver. Lyles is the third-fastest man ever in the 200m with 19.31 (Oregon 2022). In the 100m, he owns a personal best of 9.79, the time with which he won Olympic gold in Paris in the fastest final ever, with nine men running 9.91 or faster.
A STAR ON NETFLIX – Lyles’s popularity has grown further thanks to the TV series ‘Sprint’ on Netflix, which has enjoyed global success. The show reveals the human side of the world’s fastest athletes, their training, and behind-the-scenes moments from the 2023 World Championships in Budapest — where Lyles won triple gold medal (100-200-4×100) — as well as the emotions of his unforgettable Olympic triumph in Paris. Beyond athletics, Lyles is a personality who transcends sport, known for his style and frequent appearances at major brand fashion shows, including Milano Fashion Week in Italy.
GOLDEN GALA AND THE 100 METRES – The Golden Gala has a long ‘love affair’ with the 100m: the event has been contested in 41 of the 45 editions, starting in 1980 with American Stanley Floyd winning in 10.22, up to Trayvon Bromell’s victory in 2025 (9.84). Since 1994, the race has been excluded only once (in 2019) to make way for the Lyles–Norman 200m duel. The meeting record holder and most successful athlete (five wins) is Justin Gatlin, with 9.75 in 2015. Maurice Greene won four consecutive times, while Asafa Powell has three victories. Unforgettable are the three appearances by legend Usain Bolt, with two wins in 2011 (9.91) and 2012 (a blazing 9.76). Alongside Gatlin and Bolt, only Tyson Gay has gone under 9.80 in Rome (9.77 in 2009). The first man to break 10 seconds at the Golden Gala was Frankie Fredericks with 9.97 in 1998.