Two world leads were set by Winfred Yavi in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase (8:44.39) and Ackera Nugent in the women’s 100 metres hurdles (12.24) at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea - Powered by IP in Rome.
Women’s 3000 metres steeplechase
World and Olympic champion Winfred Yavi from Barhain won the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase in 8:44.39 missing Beatrice Chepkoech’s world record by seven hundredths. Yavi set a new Asian record, the world lead, the second fastest time in history and the meeting record. She ran almost eight seconds faster than her Olympic record in Paris, but also smashed the previous meeting record set by Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew with 9:00.71 in Florence in 2023. Peruth Chemutai from Uganda set a national record of 8:48.03 to finish second. Faith Cherotich took third place with 8:57.65.
Winfred Yavi: “I looked at the time after the race and I said: ’oh no’. I was really expecting that record and I was going for it. I definitely feel I should break it. I believe it will happen. I am planning to have another go before the end of the season”.
Women’s 100 metres hurdles
Ackera Nugent from Jamaica won her second consecutive race in the Diamond League with a world lead, meeting record and national record of 12.24 into a headwind of -0.4 m/s setting the fourth fastest time in history. Nugent had already won in Chorzow in a meeting record of 12.29 last Sunday. Olympic champion Masai Russell finished second in 12.31 ahead of Nadine Visser from the Netherlands (12.52), Olympic silver medallist Cyrena Samba Mayela (12.57) and Alaysha Johnson (12.66).
Ackera Nugent: “This victory is not like a revenge for the Olympics for me. I am just in a really good shape. I was injured before and this is a new experience for me. I am still so young. I am so full of adrenaline. I expected to win here. I enjoyed this race”.
Women’s 1500 metres
Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon won the women’s 1500 metres in 3:52.89 to secure her spot in the Diamond League Final in Brussels. Kipyegon claimed her second win at Golden Gala one year after breaking the world record in Florence in the 1500m. Freweyni Hailu from Ethiopia improved her PB to 3:54.16 to take second place ahead of her compatriot Birke Haylom (3:54.79), Jessica Hull from Australia (3:54.98), Nelly Chepchirchir (PB 3:56.14). Sintayehu Vissa from Italy missed her national record by just 0.01 to finish sixth in 3:58.12 beating Ethiopia’s Worknesh Mesele (3:58.15). Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Nadia Battocletti has become the third Italian athlete in history to break the 4 minutes barrier with her PB of 3:59.19.
Faith Kipyegon: “I am so happy. I am satisfied with the pace and with how the race went. It was all about qualifying for the Diamond League Final, about getting the points. I enjoyed the race, but I did not see the time. Golden Gala is a great meeting. The world record was not for today with the Olympic Games only three weeks ago.”
Men’s 100 metres
Olympic 200 metres champion Letsile Tebogo stormed to a win in the men’s 100 metres in 9.87 (0.3). Tebogo has clinched his third consecutive Diamond League win since the Olympic Games in Paris following his victories in the 200 metres in Lausanne and Silesia. Tebogo held off last year’s Diamond League Final winner Christian Coleman (9.92) and Olympic bronze medallist Fred Kerley (9.95).
Men’s 400 metres
Olympic bronze medallist Muzala Samukonga from Zambia held off 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James on the home straight to win the men’s 400 metres in 43.99. Samukonga claimed the first ever Diamond League win of his career. James finished second in 44.30 ahead of Jereem Richards (44.55), Bayapo Ndori (44.56).
Muzala Samukonga: “My life changed completely this year. It is hard to even explain fully. I am recognizable in my home country now and it is not easy sometimes. You have to be strong enough as an athlete to deal with it. The win in the Diamond League means a lot to me. Running sub-44 is not easy. I have still the Diamond League Final coming up”.
Women’s 200 metres
Olympic bronze medallist Brittany Brown clocked 22.00 to claim her second win of the season in the Diamond League. Anavia Battle finished second in 22.27 ahead of European silver medallist Daryll Neita (22.46), Jessika Gbai from Ivory Coast (22.51) and European champion Mujinga Kambundji from Switzerland (22.53).
Women’s 400 metres hurdles
Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell won the women’s 400 metres hurdles in 52.59 holding off Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon (53.20) on the home straight. Shamier Little finished third in in 54.15 ahead of Jamaica’s Janieve Russell (54.45).
Men’s shot put
Three-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser threw 22.26m in the first round to improve Konrad Bukowiecki’s meeting record. Crouser bettered this mark to 22.49m in the second round. Every single of his six throws went beyond the 22 metres barrier. Italian record holder Leonardo Fabbri finished second with 21.70m in the venue where he won the European title last June. Payton Otterdahl took third place with 21.63m beating Joe Kovacs (21.62m) and Rajindra Campbell from Jamaica (21.52m).
Ryan Crouser: “Not that today’s mark is not big, but I believe that I can still get into world record territory. I am trending in the right direction. Mentally and physically you reach your peak at the Olympics, but you can compensate for not being there with being more relaxed”.
Men’s discus throw
European champion Kristjan Ceh from Slovenia won for the second time in his career in the men’s discus throw at the Rome Golden Gala with a throw of 68.61m in the Final 3. Olympic champion Roje Stona from Jamaica took the lead with 67.85m in the second round and remained in top position until the sixth round. Ceh was in third place with 66.87m in the fifth round before pulling out an impressive 68.61m to snatch the win from Stona with his final throw. World record holder Mykolas Alekna from Lithuania took third place with 67.68m ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny (66.44m).
Kristjan Ceh: “This stadium is lucky for me, since I won the European Champs as well. It is one of the prettiest stadiums and a lot of people come to watch, so I love competing here”.
Women’s pole vault
Olympic and world champion Nina Kennedy had a clean sheet until 4.73m in the women’s pole vault before clearing 4.83m at the second time of asking to take the win on countback over Sandi Morris, who cleared a seasonal best of 4.83m in her third attempt. Both Kennedy and Morris passed at 4.88m and the bar went up at 4.93m.
Nina Kennedy: “It was a really good competition. Coming off the Olympics is really difficult. A lot of girls are quite tired. I went back to Australia and then coming back to Europe was really difficult. I am very tired. Just to get the win and attempt a new PB is really good”.
Women’s long jump
Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall leapt to 7.02m in the second attempt to clinch her first ever win in a Diamond League meeting. Monae' Nichols took second place with 6.82m ahead of Quanesha Burks (6.66m).
Tara Davis-Woodhall: “It’s almost surreal. I mean none has jumped 7 metres so many times this year like me. I have been undefeated. I am tired. Tomorrow I will fly to Paris. I just want to see my husband Hunter Woodhall compete at the Paralympics”.
Men’s high jump
Woo Sang-hyeok from South Korea cleared 2.30m. Romaine Beckford cleared 2.27 in his third attempt before improving his PB to 2.30m. Beckford was not able to clear 2.33m. Woo took the win on countback to secure his qualifying spot for the Diamond League Final in Brussels. Reigning World and European champion Gianmarco Tamberi cleared 2.27m in the second attempt. Tamberi failed his third attempt at 2.30m and shared third place with Oleh Doroshchuk.
Men’s triple jump
Olympic bronze medallist and two-time Diamond League Champion Andy Diaz from Italy leapt to 17.32m in the second round to claim the seventh win of his career in a Diamond League meeting.
Andy Diaz: “I am very happy. I won in front of my home crowd. It was a beautiful competition at home in the amazing Stadio Olimpico. I gave everything I had. The result is OK. I had a cramp in my left leg, so I had only two valid attempts”.
Men’s 5000 metres
Ethiopia completed a top-three sweep. Hagos Gebrhiwet ran 12:51.07 to win the men’s 5000 metres beating his compatriots Yomif Kejelcha (12:51.25) and Selemon Barega (12:51.39). Jacob Krop was the top Kenyan athlete in fourth place in 12:51.55 ahead of Telahun Haile Bekele (12.51.59), Berihu Aregawi (12:54.12), Mohammed Ahmed (12:54.90) and Dominic Lobalu (12:59.16).
Hiwot Gebrhiwet: “This was a very nice race and the track is fast, so I am really happy. Our tactics is that we Ethiopians work together. We have many good Ethiopian 5000m runners, an if one gets tired, another can help with the pace. In Paris I was unlucky because after the qualification I got corona so it was very difficult for me”.
Men’s 110 metres hurdles
Sasha Zhoya from France in the men’s 110 metres hurdles won the second race of his career in a Diamond League meeting clocking in 13.18 in a non-DL scoring race following his victory in Paris last July. Asier Martinez from Spain took second place in 13.27 ahead of Omar McLeod (13.28).
by Diego Sampaolo
RESULTS - FOTOGALLERY (di Francesca Grana e Pino Fama/FIDAL)
