100m MEN
The 100 metres, penultimate race of the evening, brings back to the Italian leg of the Wanda Diamond League the American Fred Kerley, winner of the meeting in Rome last year in 9.92 before conquering the US championships and the world gold in Eugene. The Olympic and European champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs won’t be competing due to a back injury suffered in recent days, which also forced him to cancel his presence in Rabat. But the whole podium of the Worlds is in Florence: the new name in the start list Marvin Bracy, silver in Oregon22 at 100m and 4x100m, also world indoor bronze in 60m. There is the other American Trayvon Bromell, two bronze medals at the world championships and 60m world indoor champion in 2016 (9.76 personal best). With 9.88 in the Yokohama meeting (but 9.76 as a personal best) Kerley has the second performance in the season behind the 9.84 of Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala in Nairobi, also competing at the Golden Gala, and beaten by Kerley last Sunday in Rabat, in the second stage of the Wanda Diamond League 2023.
In Florence the cast for the Golden Gala is astonishing. The Jamaican Yohan Blake, world champion in 2011, with two Olympic titles and one world gold with the relay, as well as two Olympic silver medals in London 2012 (9.69 personal best, second all-time performer, still capable last year to ran 9.85). African record holder and two-time continental champion Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya (9.77 two years ago in Nairobi). The other sprinter from Africa is a well known athlete at the Golden Gala, the South African record holder Akani Simbine, twice winner of the meeting in Rome in 2020 and in Florence in 2021 (9.84 personal best), five times finalist between the Olympics and the world championships but never on a global podium in his career. Samuele Ceccarelli, amazing European indoor champion in Istanbul, at his season debut in the 100 metres, to renew his personal best (10.45) and fulfill the first Golden Gala of his career against the best sprinters of the world. Last but not least, the Australian Rohan Browning, 10.01 in career, Olympic semifinalist in Tokyo 2021. The meeting record belongs to Justin Gatlin, who ran in 9.75 in the 2015 edition. The best time achieved on Italian tracks is held by Asafa Powell, on the occasion of the Jamaican's world record in Rieti in 2007.
World record 9.58 Usain Bolt (Jam) | Berlin | 16 August 2009
Meeting record 9.75 Justin Gatlin (Usa) | Rome | 4 June 2015
World lead 9.84 Ferdinand Omanyala (Ken) | Nairobi | 13 May 2023
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200m MEN
The star of the future runs in Florence, Erriyon Knighton, 19 and a half years old but on rise for two seasons now. Last year he set the U20 world record with an incredible 19.49, fifth performance ever, he is the world bronze medallist in Eugene and fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. He is making his debut on Italian tracks, in an event that will have a new winner at the Golden Gala in any case. Watch out for the meeting record, 19.70 of the other American Michael Norman, in Rome 2019.
Erriyon Knighton is the only US sprinter at the start, but other Americans will be in Florence, from strong Canadian Aaron Brown, one of the best competitors on the planet, to the Dominican Alexander Ogando, the Trinidadian world medallist Jereem Richards, the flying Cuban Reynier Mena, already under 20 seconds (19.95) in Savona. Italy has an Olympic scent in this race: Filippo Tortu and Fausto Desalu, gold in Tokyo with the 4x100m. For the European bronze Tortu, a return on the 200 metres at the Golden Gala, where last year finished third in 20.40. It is the second half-lap race of his season, he made his debut in Nairobi at 20.30. For Fausto Desalu it is an opportunity to come back to "his" 200m after the recent excursions on the full lap of the track. Last year, in Rome, he was fourth with 20.59. The powerful Liberian Joseph Fahnbulleh closes the entry list.
World record 19.19 Usain Bolt (Jam) | Berlin | 20 August 2009
Meeting record 19.70 Michael Norman (Usa) | Rome | 6 June 2019
World lead 19.79 James Dadzie (Gha) | Lubbock | 29 April 2023
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100m WOMEN
Among so many stars, it is difficult to choose a single name: in the luxurious edition of the Golden Gala 2023, here is the British Dina Asher-Smith, one world title and four European golds, with many silver and bronze medals conquered in her still young career. Two years ago, in Florence, she won the 200m with 22.06. On the shortest distance of the program, she is awaited by the very fast Ivorian and African record holder Marie-Josée Ta Lou, winner of a Golden Gala in the 200 metres, as Asher-Smith, five years ago. The meeting record is one of those that die hard: a double 10.75, achieved first by Marion Jones in the 1998 edition, then equaled by the Jamaican Kerron Stewart in 2009.
There is still gold along the Arno, lots of gold: that of the German sprinter Gina Luckenkemper, sensational winner of the European Championships in Munich last summer, returning from the more than good campaign in the United States at the beginning of the season. The double gold of Abby Steiner, the US sprinter who won two world titles in Eugene in both relays, at her first career race not only in Italy, but in Europe. The gold of the other American Jenna Prandini, one world title and one Olympic silver medal with the 4x100m, fifth at the Golden Gala 2019 in the 100 metres race. The other big names come from the United States. Aleia Hobbs, recently the most constant among the top US sprinters, regularly under 10.90. Gabby Thomas, Olympic bronze in the 200m but silver in the relay, at the first Golden Gala of her career. Morolake Akinosun, Olympic and world gold medallist with the relay in the two-year period 2016-2017.
World record 10.49 Florence Griffith-Joyner (Usa) | Indianapolis | 16 July 1988
Meeting record 10.75 Marion Jones (Usa) | Rome | 14 July 1998 - Kerron Stewart (Jam) | Rome | 10 July 2009
World lead 10.76 Sha’Carri Richardson (Usa) | Doha | 5 May 2023
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400m WOMEN
This time Femke Bol will run at 400m hurdles, but there is the rest of the European podium from Munich in Florence. The duo made of Natalia Kaczmarek and Anna Kielbasinska, who together with the Dutch star represent the best that Europe can offer on the women's 400m side. Alongside the Poles, the Jamaican Candice McLeod, who did an overwhelming 2021 season that took her up to fifth place in the Tokyo Olympic final. Twice on the podium with the 4x400m (Tokyo and Eugene), she is the third name in the poker competing in Florence. Dutch like Bol is Lieke Klaver, who won in Rome in the 2020 edition in 50.98 and has won European gold medals three times with the 4x400m relay, both outdoors and indoors.
Three "Americans" and one Italian, to complete the entry list. Alice Mangione, European indoor silver with the 4x400m in Istanbul, seventh at the world championships in the 4x400m medley relay and several times Italian champion, expected to return under 52 seconds after the debut in Savona (52.25). From America, three athletes are coming on the other side of the ocean: the US Lynna Irby-Jackson, Olympic gold medallist with 4x400m relay in Tokyo (she ran the heat), the Cuban Roxana Gomez (49.71 personal best, 50.60 last Sunday in France in the first European race of the season), and finally Aliyah Abrams, top athlete from Guyana, with the best season time outdoors among the others, thanks to the national record of 50.20 achieved recently.
World record 47.60 Marita Koch (Gdr) | Canberra | 6 October 1985
Meeting record 49.17 Marita Koch (Gdr) | Rome | 10 September 1986
World lead 2023 48.98 Marileidy Paulino (Dom) | Los Angeles | 27 May 2023
