Seven Paris gold medals at the Golden Gala

From Paris gold to the magical night of the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea. From Olympics excitement to the challenges of the Wanda Diamond League. On Friday 30 August, 7 individual gold medals from the Games that will shine in Rome: Olympic 200 metres champion Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) competing in 100m, the king of the 400m Quincy Hall (USA), Hamish Kerr (New Zealand, high jump), Tara Davis (USA, long jump) and Nina Kennedy (Australia, pole vault), 100 hurdles winner Masai Russell (USA) and steeplechaser Winfred Yavi (Bahrain). 

WHAT A JUMP - A sort of the re-match of Paris. In the long jump US Tara Davis, dominating at the Stade de France with a jump of 7.10, will find the silver medallist of the Games, as well as Tokyo Olympic champion, the German Malaika Mihambo (6.98), compatriot Jasmine Moore (bronze), and home idol Larissa Iapichino who arrived one step away from the podium in Paris with fourth place in the final. Mihambo has already had a fantastic night in Rome, winning European gold in June with 7.22, on the night of Iapichino’s silver. The high jump competition is also of the highest level, awaiting the gold medallist from Paris, Hamish Kerr of New Zealand, winner in Saint-Denis with 2.34 at ‘jump-off’ (after having jumped 2.36 during the competition). It will be an opportunity to fly again for Gianmarco Tamberi, held back by physical problems in the French capital and looking for his first victory at the Golden Gala in his sixth participation. Italy’s Stefano Sottile was also in action and came close to the podium with a personal best of 2.34 on his first attempt. Big jumps also in pole vault with Australian Nina Kennedy ready to fly again after 4.90 in Paris. Also expected are Italians Elisa Molinarolo, sixth at the Games, and Roberta Bruni who qualified for the final.

ON THE TRACK - He enchanted the world with his 19.46 in 200 metres (gold) and with a fantastic final leg in 4x400 (silver), medals dedicated to his mother who passed away a few months ago. Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) can’t wait to set the Olympic Stadium ablaze in 100 metres, a discipline in which he was sixth in the Paris final with a PB of 9.86. In the 400 metres, dedicated to the unforgettable Italian specialist Andrea Barberi, US Quincy Hall can still amaze, after a formidable 43.40 in Paris, a result that brought him to fourth place in the all-time world lists. Another of the 14 US gold medals in Paris also arrives in Rome: it's the one hit by hurdler Masai Russell, winner of the 100hs at the Stade de France with 12.33. A wonderful sprint in the last metres of the 3000m steeplechase allowed Winfred Yavi to win gold and repeat the victory of the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, as well as that of the 2023 Diamond League final. We will see her again in Rome, more determinated than ever.