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ENTRY LIST GOLDEN GALA PIETRO MENNEA 2026 – TIMETABLE – TICKETS HERE – FOTOGALLERY (ph. Fama/FIDAL)
Excitement is building for the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, which returns with record-breaking numbers: an exceptional cast featuring 43 Olympic or World gold medallists and more than 80 global medal winners overall. The stars of athletics will gather in Rome for the fourth stop of the Wanda Diamond League, on the evening of June 4 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The 46th edition of Italy’s premier track and field meeting was presented in the Olimpico conference hall by Stefano Mei, President of FIDAL (Italian Athletics Federation) and Meeting Director Marco Sicari, in the presence of three of the event’s biggest stars: Tokyo 2020 Olympic sprint champion Marcell Jacobs, world long jump champion Mattia Furlani, and world indoor triple jump champion Andy Diaz. Among the dignitaries attending were Diego Nepi Molineris, CEO of Sport e Salute, which organises the event together with the Italian Athletics Federation; Flavio Siniscalchi, Head of the Department for Sport; Alessandro Onorato, Rome’s Councillor for Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion; and CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio. Tickets for the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea are available on TicketOne (online and at authorised sales points). A special promotion is planned for FIDAL members and Runcard holders, with discounts of up to 40%.
100 METRES SHOWDOWN: TEBOGO JOINS LYLES AND JACOBS
The men’s 100 metres at the Golden Gala 2026 is becoming even more explosive. Joining the already announced Noah Lyles and Marcell Jacobs — the last two Olympic 100m champions — is Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, Olympic 200m gold medallist, fresh off victory at the World Relays in Gaborone with the 4x400m relay team. In this thrilling clash featuring one of the symbols of global athletics, the legend of Italian sprinting, and Tebogo, fans will also see world indoor champion Jordan Anthony (USA) and the previous world indoor champion Jeremiah Azu (Great Britain). Also in the lanes: Olympic and world 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek (USA), South Africa’s Akani Simbine, and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake. Worth remembering is the meeting record: Justin Gatlin’s 9.75 set in 2015. The only time Noah Lyles competed in Rome was in 2019, when he clocked a far from casual 19.72 in the 200 metres — the iconic time set by Pietro Mennea, to whom the event is dedicated.
5000 METRES: BATTOCLETTI CHASING A DREAM
No one can forget the thunderous roar of the Olimpico crowd when Nadia Battocletti was introduced at the last two editions of the Golden Gala. This time, the middle-distance star arrives as world champion after winning indoor 3000m gold in Torun. In the 5000 metres, she is aiming for victory and has openly declared her target: the European record held by Sifan Hassan at 14:13.42, around ten seconds faster than the Italian record Nadia herself set at the Olimpico twelve months ago (14:23.15). The Italian star will face Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Winfred Yavi (Bahrain), who came close to the world record in Rome two years ago. A strong Ethiopian contingent will also be on the track, led by Freweyni Hailu and Hirut Meshesha.
LONG JUMP: FURLANI IN A TRUE OLYMPIC FINAL
At just twenty years old, Mattia Furlani has already won medals at the Olympics (bronze in Paris), World Championships both outdoors and indoors (gold in Tokyo and Nanjing), and European Championships outdoors and indoors (silver in Rome and Apeldoorn). Furlani is one of the hometown heroes at the Stadio Olimpico, where he will seek his first personal victory in the long jump in front of the Tevere stand. Awaiting him, after the double Diamond League stop in China at Keqiao and Xiamen, is a true Olympic final featuring the other two Paris medallists: Greek legend Miltiadis Tentoglou and Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock, rising star Bozhidar Saraboyukov of Bulgaria, Portugal’s Gerson Baldé — who edged him out in the final round at the World Indoor Championships in Torun — defending Golden Gala champion Liam Adcock, fellow Jamaicans Tajay Gayle and Carey McLeod, and Sweden’s Thobias Montler. Andrew Howe’s Italian record has stood for 19 years (8.47 set at the Osaka World Championships): could this be the right moment?
TRIPLE JUMP: DIAZ AIMING FOR A THIRD GOLDEN GALA TITLE
Andy Diaz is one of seven reigning Diamond League champions competing in Rome: last September he earned his third career Diamond Trophy at the Zurich final. The two-time world indoor champion and Italian triple jump record holder (17.80) is among the most successful Italians in the top global circuit, with eight Diamond League victories. He has already won the Golden Gala twice: in Florence in 2023, when he produced the best Italian outdoor performance ever with 17.75, and again the following year in Rome. Now he is chasing a third win — an achievement only steeplechaser Alessandro Lambruschini has accomplished among Italians in Golden Gala history. His rivals include Cuba’s Lazaro Martinez and the two jumpers who shared the podium with him at the World Indoor Championships in Torun: Jamaica’s Jordan Scott and Algeria’s Yasser Triki.
SPRINTS: 200 METRES WITH JEFFERSON AND ALFRED, HODGKINSON TESTS HERSELF IN THE 400
World champion in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA), Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred, and Britain’s outstanding trio Amy Hunt, Dina Asher-Smith, and Daryll Neita. So many queens, but only one will wear the crown as the fastest in a women’s 200 metres field rarely this competitive at the Golden Gala. Shericka Jackson’s meeting record of 21.91, set in 2022, is under threat. Excitement is also growing for Keely Hodgkinson’s appearance in the 400 metres. The Olympic 800m champion and world indoor record holder could surprise over one lap after impressing in her relay leg at the World Indoor Championships in Torun. The competition is fierce, featuring world indoor champion Lurdes Gloria Manuel (Czech Republic), Europe’s top runners Natalia Bukowiecka (Poland), Lieke Klaver (Netherlands), Amber Anning (Great Britain), and world relay medallists Aaliyah Butler (USA) and Nickisha Pryce (Jamaica). Italian Anna Polinari, fresh from qualifying for the World Championships with the mixed 4×400 relay at the World Relays in Botswana, will also compete.
MIDDLE DISTANCE: HUNTER BELL IN THE 1500, NADER AND HOEY IN THE 800
In the women’s 1500 metres, Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell, world indoor champion in Torun, could shine against compatriot Laura Muir and American Nikki Hiltz, along with Italy’s Marta Zenoni, Gaia Sabbatini, and Ludovica Cavalli. The men’s 800 metres is the only additional event that will not award points toward qualification for the Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 4–5. Nevertheless, excitement is guaranteed with 1500m world champion Isaac Nader, specialists Josh Hoey and Donavan Brazier (USA), Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui, French European champion Gabriel Tual, Italian Federico Riva competing in his hometown stadium, and emerging talent Francesco Pernici.
HURDLES: BENNETT, VISSER, MUHAMMAD TO SET THE PACE
Three hurdle events will bring rhythm to the Olimpico. In the men’s 110m hurdles, a sensational Jamaican duo takes center stage: Tokyo World Championships silver and bronze medallists Orlando Bennett and Tyler Mason, along with world indoor medallists Enrique Llopis (Spain) and Trey Cunningham (USA). Italy will be represented by European champion Lorenzo Simonelli, hero of Rome 2024. In the women’s events, former world record holders Kendra Harrison in the 100m hurdles and Dalilah Muhammad in the 400m hurdles lead the field. Also competing are Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, European stars Nadine Visser (Netherlands), Pia Skrzyszowska (Poland), France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela, Italy’s Giada Carmassi, as well as Americans Jasmine Jones and Anna Cockrell, Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova, and Italian record holder Ayomide Folorunso.
JUMPS FEATURING OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS KERR AND KENNEDY
Olympic and world high jump champion Hamish Kerr (New Zealand) returns to the Golden Gala seeking his first victory at Italy’s premier meeting. Challenging him will be two more world indoor champions: Korea’s Woo Sang-hyeok and Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk. Italian rising star Matteo Sioli will gain valuable experience — also with an eye on the European Championships in Birmingham this August — alongside Czech Jan Stefela. In the pole vault, Paris Olympic champion Nina Kennedy (Australia) will compete against multiple medallists Sandi Morris (USA), Molly Caudery (Great Britain), Europeans Tina Sutej (Slovenia), Angelica Moser (Switzerland), Amalie Svabikova (Czech Republic), and Italy’s Elisa Molinarolo.
THROWS: FABBRI TAKES ON CROUSER AND KOVACS
The elite of world shot put will gather in Rome, led by legendary Ryan Crouser, winner of three consecutive Olympic gold medals and three world titles. The American world record holder also owns the Golden Gala meeting record thanks to his 22.49 throw two years ago and intends to go even farther. The United States will also send Joe Kovacs, Jordan Geist, and Roger Steen; New Zealand will have four-time indoor world champion Tom Walsh; and Mexico will be represented by Tokyo World Championships silver medal surprise Uziel Munoz. Motivation is high for Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri, king of Rome at the 2024 European Championships, who recently opened his season with a winning 21.43 throw in his hometown of Florence. His training partner Zane Weir will also compete. In the javelin, reigning world silver medallist and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters (Grenada), Germany’s experienced Thomas Rohler, and American Curtis Thompson will be in action.