English
The legend of Italian athletics is returning to Rome. It’s time for another big announcement for the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea: the Olympic champion in the 100m and the 4x100m relay at Tokyo 2020, Marcell Jacobs, will officially be among the stars of the Italian leg of the Wanda Diamond League, scheduled for the evening of Thursday, June 4. The sprinter who rewrote the history of Italian sport is ready to ignite the crowd at the Stadio Olimpico on the 100 metres straight in front of the Monte Mario stand.
A spectacular showdown awaits him against the Olympic 100m champion and four-time world gold medallist in the 200m, Noah Lyles, in a race that will keep spectators at the meeting—and viewers connected from 164 countries worldwide—on the edge of their seats. The full 100m lineup, which promises more major surprises, will be revealed in the coming weeks.
For Jacobs, currently training in Florida with his sights set on the European Championships in Birmingham—where he aims for a third consecutive continental gold in the 100m—this marks his return to the Diamond League 643 days after his last appearance, also at the Golden Gala, just weeks after finishing fifth at the Paris Olympics with an impressive 9.85.
The Olympic Stadium track in Rome has already hosted one of the most emotional moments of his career: the 2024 European title in front of 40,000 celebrating fans cheering their Italian hero. That triumph was doubled on the final night of the European Championships with a gold medal in the 4x100m relay, in the presence of President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, the guest of honour in the stands to celebrate Italy’s successes at the event.
As for the Golden Gala, this will be his fourth appearance: the first dates back to 2018 at the beginning of his sprinting career, the second in 2020 (10.11 his best time at the Rome meeting), just months before achieving one of the greatest feats in Italian sports history—the Olympic gold in Tokyo on August 1, 2021, with a European record of 9.80 in the final after a 9.84 in the semifinal.
His decision to switch from long jump to sprinting paid off with two Olympic gold medals, an indoor world gold in Belgrade in the 60m (with a European record of 6.41), and four European golds across the 60m, 100m, and relay. It’s a remarkable journey he aims to continue in the Diamond League, where he finished second in Stockholm and third in Monaco during his unforgettable summer of 2021.
“We are delighted to welcome Marcell back to the Olympic Stadium in Rome,” said Marco Sicari, Meeting Director of the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea. “The 100 metres will bring together the last two Olympic champions against each other, Jacobs and Noah Lyles. All over the track and also in field events, the meeting program is growing richer with top athletes day by day—it will be a night to remember.”