Malaika Mihambo flies to a 7.07m leap in the long jump at the Diamond League meeting in Rome (© Jean-Pierre Durand)
A clash between two global long jump champions and a rematch between the world and Olympic discus medallists will be among the highlights at the Pietro Mennea Golden Gala – part of the Wanda Diamond League – on 9 June.
German star Malaika Mihambo has dominated the women’s long jump in recent years, winning European gold in 2018, world gold in 2019 – setting a PB of 7.30m – and Olympic gold in 2021. Mihambo won in Rome three years ago with 7.07m – the first seven-metre jump of her career.
This year she will take on Ivana Vuleta, who recently retained her world indoor title, Ukraine’s European indoor champion Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, Sweden’s Khaddi Sagnia, Britain’s Jazmin Sawyers, Chantel Malone from British Virgin Islands, and Italy’s Larissa Iapichino.
The men’s discus cast is just as star-studded as the women’s long jump, and it features all three medallists from last year’s Olympic Games and the 2019 World Championships.
World and Olympic champion Daniel Stahl will be aiming to achieve his first victory at the Golden Gala in what will be his fourth appearance at the meeting. The Swede will be joined by compatriot and Olympic silver medallist Simon Pettersson, world silver medallist Fedrick Dacres of Jamaica, world and Olympic bronze medallist Lukas Weisshaidinger of Austria, 2017 world champion Andrius Gudzius, and two-time European U23 champion Kristian Ceh.
Organisers for World Athletics
