Golden Gala: Ayana one step way from the record

Reigning World champion Almaz Ayana grabbed the headlines with a hugely impressive 14:12.59. The Ethiopian star set the second fastest time in history, the meeting record improving Tirunesh Dibaba’s 14::32.57 set in 2005 and the world seasonal best. Ayana now holds three of the six fastest times in history. She set two of these performances in 2016 in Rome and Rabat (14:16.31) and one in 2015 in Shanghai (14:14.32) in Shanghain 2015.  Ayana ran alone against the clock after taking the lead with seven laps to go. She went through at 3 km in a very fast 8:30.43, eight seconds faster than Tirunesh Dibaba’s pace in the 14:11.15 WR race in Oslo Mercy Cherono, world silver medallist in Moscow, finished a distant second but she set her personal best with 14:33.95 ahead of Viola Kibiwot (14:34.39). Turkey’s Yas3emin Can set the second best European Under 23 time in history and the European best time this season with 14:37.61

Men’s 3000m steeplechase: Conseslus Kipruto won his third DL race of the season after Doha and Rabat improving his world seasonal best with 8:01.41. Pacemaker Lawrence Kipsang set a world record pace clocking 2:35.82 in the first 1 km but the race slowed at 2 km when Kipruto went through in the lead n 5:20.32. Jairus Birech, winner of the Diamond Race in 2014 and 2015, finished a distant second with 8:11.39 ahead of Paul Kipsiele Koech (8:14.46).

Women’s 800m: South African Caster Semenya won her second DL race this season after Doha and Rabat equalling her world seasonal best with 1:56.64. World Indoor champion Francine Nyonsaba took the runner-up spot with 1:58.20 ahead of 2012 European champion Linsey Sharp (1:59.03).

“I need to be consistent to mainatin this shape until the Olympics. My dream is of course Olympic gold. I am very pleased with the time. I did a lot of travelling with very little rest. I am trying to keep the shape. It is not easy. I got a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics and now I can take fast paces. We worked more on speed because coming from behind like in this race it is not easy to adjust to the pace. You are not sure to execute well on the home straight. I will go back at the African Championships”, said Semenya.

800m B race: Ethiopian Tigist Assefa took the win in 2:00.84 beating Poland’s Angelika Chicocka (2:01.30).

Women’s 100m: Two women dipped under 11 seconds, Jamaican Elaine Thompson won her second DL race this season clocking the fourth fastest time this year with 10.87, just 3 hundredths of a second shy of her personal best set in Eugene last year. English Gardner, winner in Eugene in 10.81 (second fastest time in the world this year), finished second in 10.92 ahead of this year’s world indoor champion Barbara Pierre (11.13).

Women’s 100m B race: Gloria Hooper, 200m semifinalist at the World Championships in Beijing, won the B race in 11.38. just four hundredths of a second shy of her recent personal best set earlier this year in Clermont.

Men’s 400m: World champion Wayde Van Niekerk, the first man in history to dip under 10 seconds in the 100m, under 20 seconds in the 200m and under 44 seconds in the 400m, won his first DL race of the season in 44.19, just 8 hundredths of a second shy of his 44.11 seasonal best set in South Africa on 6th May.  

“It took me a while to recover after the race. It was a challenge but I am glad I won. It is a good start to build up towards the rest of the season. The Olympic Games will be a new challenge for me, new motivation with a different fresh spirit. I am excited to compete against all these strong guys. I think I have a good position this season and I am looking forward for the fight with this spirit. Never give up”, said Van Nieker.

100m: Justin Gatlin scored his fifth consecutive win at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea but he had to dig deep to edge out his compatriot Ameer Webb by one hundredth of a second setting his seasonal best with 9.93. Webb improved his PB with 9.94 just one hour and 20 minutes after winning the 200m. Jimmy Vicaut from France finished third dipping under 10 seconds with 9.99.

“It feels good to be able to come out here and do my job well. I achieved a seasonal best. This is my fifth win in Rome. Web is a strong competitor. I love this guy. During the season I want to start slowly and then progress steadily. I love to come back every year. I expected this race and made it to the finish-line sound and safe. I need to build up for the US Trials. I am just feeling ready for the trials. I have to make sure that I stay healthyand strong”, said Gatlin.

100m B race: Reigning 100m European champion James Dasaolu won the B race setting his seasonal best with 10.11.  

Men’s high jump: Bohdan Bondarenko, world silver medalist and reigning European champion, confirmed his good period of form winning his third competition in this year’s Diamond League after Shanghai and Rabat with 2.33m in the second attempt after producing a clean sheet until 2.30m. Robbie Grabarz finished runner-up with 2.30 beating World Indoor champion Gianmarco Tamberi on countback. Grabarz cleared 2.30 at the first time of asking, while Tamberi needed two attempts to set his outdoor seasonal best. Tamberi thrilled the Rome crowd creating a great atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium. Zhang Guowei cleared 2.30m in the third attempt to finish fourth. Marco Fassinotti took fifth place with 2.27 before failing three attempts at 2.30m.

“I would have liked to win in front of this great crowd. Rio is a great chance that I want to take and I want to reach the top for this event, Clearing 2.30m is what I expected to do at this time of the season. The crowd gave me energy. I am working well and I will to improve my seasonal best in Birmingham”, said Tamberi.

Women’s 400m hurdles: Jamaican Janieve Russell, world junior champion in Barcelona 2012, set the world seasonal best with 53.96, one hundredth of a second faster than the previous best mark held by Georganne Moline. Wanda Nel Theron from South Africa finished runner-up with her seasonal best of 54.61.  

“I am very pleased about myself. I have a wonderful coach Steven Francis. He has coached Olympic champions, so I have a lot of confidence in my coach. I am confidebt in myself and keep pushing myself. This will be my first Olympic Games. I feel very proud to represent my country.

Men’s 1500m: Elijah Manangoi, world silver medallist in Beijing, won the 1500m race in a final sprint with 3:33.06 holding off 2013 World Youth champion Robert Biwott (

Women’s triple jump: Colombian double world champion Caterine Ibarguen clinched her t3:34.21)hird DL win with 14.78m in her sixth attempt. Reigning olympic champion Olga Rypakova from Kazakhstan, the last woman able to beat Ibarguen at the London Olympic Games in 2012, took the lead with 14.51m in the second round but Ibarguen overtook her with 14.64m in the third round before increasing her winning mark in the final round

Women’s pole vault: Greek Ekaterini Stefanidi, World indoor bronze medallist in Portland 2016 and European silver in Zurich 2014, tied her seasonal best with 4.75m to win her second DL competition after Rabat. Greece made the double with Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou, who took second place with 4.70m. World champion Yarisley Silva took third place equalling her seasonal best with 4.60m.

Men’s long jump: Reigning Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion Greg Rutherford got off to a winning start in this Diamond League season by setting his seasonal best with 8.31m in the second attempt. Marquise Goodwin, who played American Football in the NFL, also produced his best jump in the second round with 8.19 to finish runner-up.

Men’s 200m: US Ameer Webb clocked a winning 20.04 taking his second DL win this season after Doha, where he ran the second fastest time in the world this year with 19.85. Canadian Aaron Brown finished second with 20.24 edging twice DL winner Alonso Edward by one hundredth of a second. Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre was the top European in fourth place with 20.27.

“I enjoyed this race and the atmosphere at this stadium a lot. Rome is lovely. I will come back again. Time is ok for me. I was focusing on the 20 seconds but I was a bit too tough in the end”, said Webb.

Men’s 110m hurdles: Orlando Ortega won his first DL race of the season in 13.22 edging 2016 World Indoor silver medallist Pascal Martinot Lagarde, who set his seasonal best with 13.29. Ortega, who finished third in Doha and second Rabat is now ranked second in the Diamond Race with 20 points with the same tally as Omar McLeod, who leads thanks to his wins in Doha and Shanghai.  

Men’s discus throw: World silver medallist Robert Urbanek won the inaugural event of the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea with 65.00m in his second attempt beating South Africa’s Victor Hogan (64.03m) and reigning Olympic champion Robert Harting, who took third place with 63.96m in his come-back comeptition.

Women’s shot put: Double Olympic champion and four-time world champion Valerie Adams clinched her second consecutive Diamond League win this season after Rabat and her third Golden Gala win with her seasonal best of 19.69m beating World Indoor champion Anita Marton from Hungary (18.98m).

“This year I am more more motivated than ever. 2016 is an Olympic year. It is a great challenge. Last year was really tough for me. I am really good today. I am a lot more consistent than I have been in the past. This competition was good. I will take the win. I don’t think in terms of Diamond Race leader. What I need is to get competitions under my belt”, said Adams.

Women’s javelin throw: A best throw of 61.95m in the third round was enough for Sunette Viljoen to take the beat Rabat DL winner Madara Palameika by three cm.

Men’s 4×100: Netherlands (Solomon Bockarie, Churandy Martina, Patrick Van Luijk and Homsley Paulina) won in 38.44 beating Italy (Massimiliano Ferraro, Eseosa Desalu, Davide Manenti, Federico Cattaneo), second with 38.81.

Women’s 4×100: Ukraine (Natalya Strohova, YelzavetaBryzgina Olesya Povh and Natalia Pogrebniak) set a meeting record with 43.64 beating Poland (43.82) and Italy (44.05).

Diego Sampaolo

Results – FOTO/Photos