The programme and the stars of the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea on 8th June, the fourth leg of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League. The Rome meeting features almost 120 Olympic, world and European gold medallists.
TV: The RAI channels will broadcast the Golden Gala with three hours of live coverage. The first part of the meeting will be broadcast live from 19.30 to 21.15 on RaiSport and will continue from 21.15 to 22.35 on Rai 3. The live coverage will be available free on all platforms, via terrestrial and satellite television and in streaming on the website <link http: www.raiplay.it>www.raiplay.it
The meeting preview guide event by event:
Men’s long jump (17.40)
Golden Gala record: 8.61m Dwight Phillips USA 2009 – Italian record All-Comers: 8.67m Carl Lewis USA 1987
Women’s shot put (18.15)
Golden Gala record: 21.03 Valerie Adams NZL 2012 – Italian all-comers record: 21.24 Natalya Lisovskaya URS 1987
The best shot putters in the world will line up in Rome. The starting list is led by 2016 Rio Olympic champion and Portland World Indoor gold medallist Michelle Carter, Olympic bronze medallist and European Indoor champion Anita Marton, and China’s Gong Lijao, who won five Olympic or world medals. The Hungarian athlete, second at the Olympic Stadium last year, leads the 2017 world seasonal list ahead of Gong and Carter. The line-up also features Dani Bunch and Alona Dubitskaya, who put the shot over the 19m barrier in 2017. Favourite Carter aims at the first US win in the women’s shot put at the Golden Gala. Carter won the first Diamond League competition in Doha. Gong won in Shanghai in the absence of the US shot putter.
Women’s triple jump (19.00)
Golden Gala record and Italian all-comers record: 15.29 Yamilé Aldama CUB 2003
It would be impossible to put together a more prestigious line-up. It features the entire podium of the Rio Olympic Games and of the World Indoor Championships. The headliners will be Colombian panther Caterine Ibarguen and Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, current world leader with 14.96m in Andujar last week.The starting list also features former Olympic gold medallist Olga Rypakova, world champion Olga Saladukha and European champion Patricia Mamona. The women’s triple jump competition makes its debut in the 2017 Diamond League in the Rome Olympic Stadium. Both favourites have the meeting record of 15.29m within their reach.
Italian athlete in the competition: Dariya Derkach (Aeronautica)
Women’s pole vault (19.20)
Golden Gala and Italian all-comers record: 5.03m Yelena Isinbayeva RUS 2008
The pole vault features a mind-boggling competition with the entire Rio Olympic podium: Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi, US Sandi Morris and New Zealand’s Eliza McCartney. The line-up also includes World champion Yarisley Silva from Cuba and Anzhelika Sidorova from Russia, European gold medallist in Zurich 2014, who makes her return to international competitions. Stefanidi won last year, Silva won the Golden Gala in 2014. Also in the line-up there is Great Britain’s Holly Bradshaw, who cleared 4.80m at the end of May. Improving the Olympic record means to break the world record.
Italian athlete in the competition: Sonia Malavisi (Fiamme Gialle)
Men’s 1500 metres (19.30)
Golden Gala and Italian all-comers record: 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MOR 1998
Men’s 400 metres hurdles (19.45)
Golden Gala record: 47.73 Felix Sanchez DOM 2002 – Italian All-Comers record: 47.13 Edwin Moses US 1980
Women’s 400 metres hurdles (20.03)
Golden Gala record and Italian all-comers record: 52.82 Lashinda Demus US 2010
The race is not valid for the Diamond League rankings, but features two-time world champion Zuzana Hejnova, European champion and Olympic silver medallist Sara Petersen, and Jamaican Janieve Russell, who won in the past edition of the Golden Gala. Italian record holder Yadisleidy Pedroso and Italian Under 23 record holder Ayomide Folorunso will have a chance to clock a fast time against some of the international top athletes.
Italian athletes in the competition: Ayomide Folorunso (Fiamme Oro), Yadisleidy Pedroso (Aeronautica)
Women’s high jump (20.10)
Golden Gala and Italian all-comers record: 2.09m Stefka Kostadinova BUL 1987
The women’s high jump will be a big-height competition in the stadium, where Stefka Kostadinova set the world record of 2.09m. Beijing world champion Mariya Lasitskene-Kuchina is the favourite after clearing 2.03m in Eugene. Olympic champion Ruth Beitia returns to Rome as winner of the 2016 edition. The line-up also features 2014 World Indoor champion Kamila Licwinko. Alessia Trost will make her seasonal debut against her eternal rival Kuchina.
Italian athlete in the competition: Erika Furlani (FIamme Oro), Alessia Trost (Fiamme Gialle)
Men’s 3000m steeplechase (20.15)
Golden Gala and Italian all-comers record: 7:54.31 Paul Kipsiele Koech KEN 2012
A thrilling 3000m steeplechase race featuring Rio Olympic gold medallist Conseslus Kipruto and Jairus Birech. Both runners won the Diamond League twice. It’s the biggest 3000m steeplechase race of the season so far. It will make its debut in the 2017 Diamond League. Another big name in the line-up is Ezekiel Kemboi, four-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist in London 2012. The winner at the Olympic Stadium is expected to set the world seasonal best.
Italian athletes in the competition: Abdoullah Bamoussa (Atletica Brugnera Friulintagli), Yohanes Chiappinelli (Carabinieri), Yuri Floriani (Fiamme Gialle), Ala Zoghlami (Cus Palermo)
Men’s 100 metres (20.30)
Golden Gala record: 9.75 Justin Gatlin USA 2015 – Italian all-comers record: 9.74 Asafa Powell JAM 2007
It’s not a Diamond League event but features a star-studded field including Ronnie Baker, US sprint star, who won in Eugene in a wind-assisted 9.86. He is one of the latest sprinters to dip under the 10 seconds barrier. Jimmy Vicaut, who won eight medals in big international championships during his career and equalled the European record with 9.86, is the most serious rival of the US sprinter. Japan’s Yoshihide Kiryu aims at running his first sub-10 seconds time. Mike Rodgers, Chijindu Ujah and Femi Ogunode are the dark horses. The winner will clinch his first win at the Golden Gala
Italian athlete in the competition: Federico Cattaneo (Atletica Riccardi)
Men’s javelin throw (20.35)
Golden Gala and Italian all-comers record: 90.34m Andreas Thorkildsen NOR 2006
It’s one of the highlights of the 2017 Golden Gala with Olympic champion Thomas Rohler, who set the best performance in the world in the 21st century with 93.90m in Doha. The German thrower will take on the best specialists in the world at the moment including the other Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, three world champions Vitezslav Vesely, Julius Yego and Tero Pitkamaki, Amsterdam 2016 European champion Zigismunds Sirmais and two German specialists Johannes Vetter and Andreas Hoffman. The Golden Gala and Italian all-comers records are under threat.
Italian athlete in the competition: Mauro Fraresso (Fiamme Gialle)
Men’s 800 metres (20.40)
Golden Gala record: 1:42.79 Wilson Kipketer DEN 1999 – Italian all-comers record: 1:41.01 David Rudisha KEN 2010
It will be a big clash between African and European specialists. The African “lions” are led by U20 runner Kipyegon Bett, Ferguson Rotich, winner of the Diamond Race in 2016 and the other two stars Kipkoech and Manangoi. The latter is a top miler and world silver medallist in the 1500m. Europe will be represented by the best runners of the moment, including world silver medallist and European gold medallist Adam Kscczot, Amsterdam European silver medallist Marcin Lewandowski. The outsiders are US Donovan Brazier, the other kenyan Alfred Kipketer, and Nijel Amos, olympic silver medallist in London 2012 in the greatest 800m race in history.
Women’s 400 metres (20.40)
Golden Gala record: 49.17 Marita Koch GDR 1986 – Italian all-comers record: 48.60 Marita Koch GDR 1979
The biggest US name is Natasha Hastings, who won two olympic gold medals and seven world titles with the 4x400 relay. She will be bidding to confirm the US tradition at the Golden Gala with seven wins in the past eight editions. Jamaican sprinters Stephenie McPherson and Novlene Williams-Mills are the biggest rivals. The line-up also features European silver Floria Guei.
Italian athlete in the competition: Maria Benedicta Chigbolu(Esercito)
Men’s 110 metres hurdles (21.05)
Golden Gala record: 13.01 Allen Johnson USA 1999 – Italian all-comers record: 12.97 A Roger Kingdom USA 1988 and 12.97 A Colin Jackson GBR 1993
Rio silver medallist Orlando Ortega and reigning world champion Sergey Shubenkov, the winners of the past two editions of the Rome meeting, will return for what is expected to be a photo-finish race. The Spanish and the Russian hurdlers will face world record holder Aries Merritt, European champons Dimitri Bascou and Andy Pozzi and the other world champion David Oliver. A US hurdler has not won in Rome for ten years.
Italian athlete in the competition: Lorenzo Perini (Aeronautica)
Women’s 1500 metres (21.13)
Golden Gala record: 3:56.54 Abeba Aregawi ETH 2012 – Italian all-comers record: 3:56.18 Maryam Yusuf Yamal BRN 2006
World bronze medallist Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands will be up against the Ethiopian duo formed by U23 runners Gudaf Tsegay and Besu Sado. The race will feature also 20-year-old German Kostanze Klosterhalfen, Meraf Bahta of Sweden and Sofia Ennaoui from Poland.
Italian athlete in the competition: Margherita Magnani (Fiamme Gialle)
Women’s 100 metres: (21.23)
Golden Gala record: 10.75 Kerron Stewart JAM 2009 – Italian all-comers record: 10.74 Merlene Ottey JAM 1996
The Olympic Stadium welcomes the Flying Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers, two-time European gold medallist in the 100m and outstanding 200m champion in Beijing 2015. Schippers will have the chance to become the first European winner at the Golden Gala for 12 years. She will take on Olympic 4x100 relay and long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta, a group of extra-European sprinters (Ayhe, Williams and Ta Lou) and European sprinters (Luckenkemper, Henry and Kambundji).
Italian athlete in the competition: Irene Siragusa (Esercito)
Men’s 200 metres (21.30)
Golden Gala record: 19.86 Walter Dix USA 2010 – Italian all-comers record: 19.82 A Carl Lewis USA 1988
Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse, Olympic silver medallist in Rio behind Usain Bolt, is the stand-out name in the 200m line-up, which also features Panama’s Alonso Edward, who won the past three editions of the Diamond Race, and top sprinters like Christophe Lemaitre and Churandy Martina. World under 20 100m silver medallist Filippo Tortu, who has just set the Italian Under 20 record, will run his first 200m race since 2015. Last year’s 200m Golden Gala winner Ameer Webb will be also in the line-up.
Italian athlete in the competition: Filippo Tortu (Fiamme Gialle)
Women’s 5000 metres (21.40)
Golden Gala and Italian all-comers record: 14:12.59 Almaz Ayana ETH 2016
Genzebe Dibaba is synonim of record. The Ethiopian runner will make an attempt to attack the world record which Almaz Ayana narrowly missed last year. The cast features an incredible line-up including Hellen Obiri, olympic silver medallist, Yasemin Can, European gold medallist and a group of top runners like Kenyan Alice Aprot and Ethiopian junior runner Gidey. Running at Golden Gala meeting record pace means to launch a serious attack to the world record.
Women’s 100 metres Paralympic race (22.05)
Men’s 100 metres Paralympic race (22.15)
Tickets: The ticket sales for the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea on 8th June 2017 at the Rome Olympic Stadium have started. Tickets can be bought in the Ticketone outlets, the Ticketing partner of the meeting of the Italian capital, and on the website of the company at the address <link http: www.ticketone.it>www.ticketone.it(in the section sport, or searching Golden Gala on the search engine in the website). These are the prices for the 2017 edition (excluding the pre-sale rights):
Monte Mario Finish-line: 30 Euro – Reduced Under 14: 15 Euro
Monte Mario Starting line: 20 Euro
Tribuna Tevere, Distinti Finish Line: 15 Euro
Curve and Distinti (excluding the Distinti Finish-line): 5 Euro
The Foro Italico Ticket Office in Rome is open (Viale delle Olimpiadi 61, former Ostello, opening hours from Monday to Friday 10.00-13.00; 14:00-17:00).
