Golden Gala, the stars in Rome since 1980

The Golden Gala is the most important international athletics meeting in Italy and one of the most exciting events in the framework of Rome’s sporting events. The Golden Gala was born in 1980 thanks to the intuition of Primo Nebiolo, then president of the FIDAL, who understood how, in the year of the boycott of many countries at the Moscow Olympics, Rome could become the scene of spectacular challenges and give the opportunity, to those who had been left out of the Games, to take revenge. Pietro Mennea and Sara Simeoni were there that night, but more importantly, there were 60,000 people crow ding the Olympic Stadium.

All the great champions of the last three decades have passed through here, and historic pages of world athletics have been experienced, such as that of 1984, the magical night of the pole vault when Sergey Bubka (Urs) and Thierry Vigneron (Fra) challenged each other to world records in their ascent to the sky, up to the 5.94 of the then Soviet champion, who also attempted the 6 meters he would later surpass. Since then the Golden Gala has offered many world records: in 1987 Moroccan Said Aouita broke the historic 13-minute wall in the 5,000 by stopping the stopwatches at a time of 12:58.39. That was only the first of many times recorded under 13 minutes. In 1995 the race recorded another world record, this time by Kenyan Moses Kiptanui, a great “free running” 3000 steeplechase specialist over the flat distance, which he covered in the fantastic time of 12:55.30.

As many as two world records were achieved in Rome by the great Hicham El Guerrouj. In 1998 the Moroccan champion sealed a science fiction performance in the 1500 meters, in a time of 3:26.00, still unbeaten today. The following year the Maghrebi runner also improved that in the mile, taking it to 3:43.13 thanks in part to the stimulus of young Kenyan opponent Ngeny. The year 2000 was kissed by Norwegian Trine Hattestad ‘s record in the javelin (68.22). And another fantastic world record came in 2008, when pole vault queen Yelena Isinbaeva (Russia) flew to five meters and zero three of her umpteenth record.

Since 2010, the Golden Gala has been part of the Diamond League, the world’s leading one-day meeting circuit. In 2013, the event was named after Olympian and former 200-meter world record holder Pietro Mennea, who died prematurely in March of that year. This was the third consecutive appearance at the Olympic Stadium by speed legend Usain Bolt. In 2020, a 40th anniversary celebration postponed until September because of the pandemic, the Golden Gala was lit up by the 6.15 of Swedish pole vault master Armand Duplantis, at that time the best outdoor performance of any era. The last world record in 2023 was signed by Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon in the 1,500 (3:49.11), in the second edition held in Florence after the one in 2021.

GOLDEN GALA WORLD RECORDS

Pole Vault – Thierry Vigneron (FRA) 5.83 – 01/09/1983
Pole Vault – Thierry Vigneron (FRA) 5.91 – 31/08/1984
Pole Vault – Sergey Bubka (URS) 5.94 – 31/08/1984
5000 – Said Aouita (MAR) 12:58.39 – 22/07/1987
5000 – Moses Kiptanui (KEN) 12:55.30 – 08/06/1995
1500 – Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:26.00 – 14/07/1998
Mile – Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:43.13 – 07/07/1999
Javelin Throw – Trine Hattestad (NOR) 68.22 – 30/06/2000
Pole Vault – Yelena Isinbaeva (RUS) 5.03 – 11/07/2008
Pole Vault – Armand Duplantis (SVE) 6.15 – 17/9/2020 – Best outdoor performance
1500 – Faith Kipyegon (KEN) 3:49.11 – 02/06/2023