Mutaz Essa Barshim, reigning World Indoor champion in Sopot, topped the bill at the 34th edition of the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea when he set a new Asian record and an Italian all-comers record clearing 2.41 in the first attempt in a magic athletics night at the 34th edition of the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea. Barshim improved his own Asian record set last year in Eugene by one cm. Barshim’s 2.41 is one of the four world seasonal best performances set in this year’s edition of the Rome meeting. The other world seasonal best performances were Brianna Rollins’ 12.53 in the women’s 100 m hurdles, Kaliese Spencer’s 53.97 in the women’s 400m hurdles and Genzebe Dibaba’s 14:34.99 in the women’s 5000 metres. Barshim needed two attempts at 2.28 after first-time clearances at 2.20 and 2.24. He had a clean sheet clearing 2.31, 2.34, 2.37 and 2.41 at the first attempt before a close attempt at 2.43. With his 2.41 clearance Barshim also tied the Diamond League record set by Bohdan Bondarenko last year in Lausanne.
The young Qatari jumper improved the Italian all-comers record held by Patrick Sjoberg and Gennadiy Adveyenko with 2.38 at the 1987 World Championships in Rome and by Ukraine’s Andriy Sokolovskiy who held the previous meeting record with 2.38 in 2005. “There are no limits in the high jump. I do not like to put any limits even on myself. After this competition I became more confident and I really believe that the world record is possible. I was very close to 2.43. The record can come next week or in four years. Nobody knows. It is good that the field is so strong nowadays. This pushes us to perform well”, said Barshim after the competition. World champion Bohdan Bondarenko cleared 2.34 at the first time of asking after one failed attempt at 2.31. He opted to pass 2.37, 2.39 and 2.41 before a very close attempt at the new European record height at 2.43m. US Olympic silver medallist Erik Kynard finished third with 2.31. Canadian record holder Derek Drouin, World Indoor bronze medallist Andriy Protsenko from the Ukraine, 2008 Olympic champion and 2012 Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov shared the fifth place with 2.28m.
Golden Gala report event by event
Men’s 100 metres (non DL event): Justin Gatlin stormed to a dominant win in 9.91 and confirmed his impressive early-season shape in which he collected wins in Tokyo (10.02 into a -3.5 m/s headwind), Shanghai (9.92), Bejing (9.87) and Eugene (wind-assisted 9.76). Gatlin scored his third win in Rome after 2005 and 2013. Last year he beat Usain Bolt in 9.94 in 2013. Jamaican Nesta Carter, double Olympic 4x100 relay champion, finished runner-up in 10.02. World Junior champion Adam Gemili finished third with 10.07. “I got out with the gun and hold it to the end. I am definitely satisfied with the competition. I came here completely jetlagged with extreme time changes. My goal ? I want to achieve my third win in Rome next year”, said Gatlin.
Men’s 100m B race: Jamaican Jason Livermore won the B race in 10.13.
Men’s 200 metres: Berlin 2009 World silve medallist Alonso Edward edged 2010 Barcelona European champion Christophe Lemaitre by 0.05 in 20.19. Lemaitre set his seasonal best with 20.24.
Men’s 400 metres: Lashawn Merritt, who dipped under 44 seconds last Saturday with 43.97 in Eugene, confirmed his excellent shape with an impressive win with 44.48. Youssef Masrahi from Saudi Arabia repeated his second place of last year in 45.14.
Men’s 800 metres: Mohamed Aman, World champion in Moscow, won for the second consecutive year in Rome with 1.44.24. Sudanese Abubakher Kaki showed that he is returning to his best form finishing second in 1:4.57 five days after running 1:44.09 in Eugene. Marcin Lewandowski from Poland ran an excellent race taking third place in 1:44.60 ahead of US Duane Solomon (1:44.90) and Kenyan Job Kinyor (1:44.90). “It was a very long trip coming from Eugene but I started here with just one goal: to win. I pushed in the last 100 metres and had the most power in the finish".
Men’s 1500 metres: Silas Kiplagat pulled away in the final straight to hold off Eugene Bowerman Mile Ayanleh Souleiman (second with 3:31.19) and double world champion Asbel Kiprop (3:31.89) in the final sprint in 3:30.44 in the the eagerly-awaited 1500m race in 3:30.44. Young German Homiyu Tesfaye, fifth at the World Championships in Moscow, dipped under 3:32 for the first time in his career setiing a personal best of 3:31.98. Two more runners ran under 3:33: Moroccan Abdelati Iguider (3:32.09), Collins Cheboi (3:32.36).
Men’s 3000 m steeplechase: Jairus Birech produced one of the greatest upsets of the evening winning in a seasonal best of 8:06.20 beating 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Paul Kipsiele Koech by 4:33. Brimin Kipruto, Olympic champion in Bejing 2008, completed the Kenyan sweep in third place with 8:11.39. Pole Krystian Zalewski ran a very good race finishing fifth behind Abel Mutai in a personal best of 8:16.20
Men’s triple jump: Will Claye, Olympic silver medallist and World bronze in Moscow, leapt to 17.14 in the fifth attempt overtaking his friend and rival Christian Taylor who was leading with 17.08 in the third round. Olympic champion Taylor improved to 17.11 in the sixth attempt. Cuban Lazaro Martinez, World Youth champion in Donetsk, jumped 17.07 to finish third. European champion Fabrizio Donato performed well in front of the enthusiastic Italian crowd finishing fourth with 16.89. European Indoor champion Daniele Greco improved his seasonal best to 16.84m.
Men’s discus throw: Reigning olympic, world and european champion Robert Harting won the first event of the meeting with a seasonal best of 68.36m in the fifth attempt. Even his next three best throws over the 66 metres barrier (66.64m, 66.61m and 66.21m) would have been enough to win the competition as Pole Piotr Malachowski produced a best throw of 65.86m in the second attempt. “I am quite pleased with the competition.Last week I trained hard and coming here I felt very tired. With one day of rest it got better. The weather here and the competition situation added a lot. But thecar (my body) used to be much better. If you understand what I mean, I still need to find out how to direct the car. The mental strength is not yet there. My nex competition will be in Hengelo”, said Harting
Women’s 100 metres: Tori Bowie is the sensation of the year. After winning last Saturday in Eugene in the 200m in 22.18, the US long jump specialist scored her second Diamond League win in the 100m setting a 100m personal best of 11.05. World 4x100 gold medallist Kerron Stewart finished second in a seasonal best of 11.08 ahead of her compatriot Simone Facey (11.13). Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce finished seventh with 11.19.
Women’s 100 m B race: Jamaican Aleen Bailey clinched the win in 11.28 edging US Joanna Atkins by 0.02 sec. US Barbara Pierre finished third with 11.31.
Women’s 800 metres: Eunice Sum, reigning World champion in Moscow 2013, pulled away in the final straight holding off 18-year-old Cuban rising star Sahily Diago in the final straight in 1:59.49. Diago, who ran a lifetime best of 1:57.74 this year, finished runner-up in 2:00. In her Diamond League debut
Women’s 5000 metres: Genzebe Dibaba set the world seasonal best with 14:34.99 following in the footsteps of her older sisters Tirunesh and Eyegayehu who won the Golden Gala in the past over this distance. Eyegayehu won in 2004 in 14:37.99. Tirunesh won three times in 2005, 2006 and 2008 and set the meeting record clocking 14:32.57 in 2006.
Women’s 100 m hurdles: World outdoor champion Brianna Rollins set the fastest time in the world this year with 12.53 in her debut in the Diamond League circuit edging out 2008 Olympic champion Dawn Harper Nelson by just 0.01 sec. Queen Harrison completed the US podium sweep in third place with 12.61. Cindy Billaud from France finished a solid fourth with 12.69. Olympic champion Sally Pearson was forced to pull out of the meeting as she got an injury during her warm-up
Women’s 400 m hurdles: Jamaican Kaliese Spencer, three-time Diamond Race winner, set the fastest time in the world this year with 53.97 improving her own best world leading time of 54.29 set last Saturday in Eugene. US Georganne Moline finished runner-up with her seasonal best of 54.56. Great Britain’s Elidh Child also improved her seasonal best finishing third with 54.62.
Women’s triple jump: Reigning world champion Caterine Ibarguen scored her second win in this year’s Diamond League with 14.48m in the second attempt before passing the last four attempts. Russia’s Yekaterina Koneva, world silver medallist in Moscow, finished runner-up with 14.42m in the sixt attempt.
Women’s pole vault: World Indoor gold medallist Yarisley Silva cleared 4.70 in her third attempt to set a world seasonal best. German Lisa Ryzich cleared 4.60 to take second place with 4.60 ahead of her compatriot Silke Spiegelburg (4.50m).
Women’s shot put: New Zealand’s super star Valerie Adams, twice Olympic champion, four-time World outdoor champion and three-time World Indoor champion, improved her winning streak to 48 consecutive wins with a best shot of 20.01m
Women’s javelin throw: Double Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova enjoyed an excellent come-back from maternity leave winning her first Diamond League since the birth of her son with an impressive 66.43m in the second attempt. Martina Ratej, winner in the first leg of the Diamond League in Doha, took runner-up place with 63.12m.
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05 June, 2014
