2.02 Italian national record for Antonietta Di Martino in Turin (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
The performances of rising Italian stars Antonietta Di Martino and Andrew Howe will certainly have a strong impact on the 27th edition of the Golden Gala in Rome on 13 July, the Italian leg of the IAAF Golden League.
Di Martino and Howe have aroused much enthusiasm in Italy in recent weeks and local fans will have plenty to cheer about during the premier Italian meeting which is held in Rome’s Olympic Stadium.
Antonietta Di Martino has recently made history by bettering the long-standing Italian High Jump record held by Sara Simeoni since 1978. Di Martino first cleared 2.02m in Turin on 8 June and later improved her record to 2.03, which is second in the world seasonal list behind Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic’s 2.04 in Doha.
In Rome, Di Martino will face Vlasic, Belgium’s Tia Hellebaut, the European outdoor and indoor champion, and Kajsa Bergqvist of Sweden the World champion in what promises to be another fascinating 2 metres tussle.
The other much-anticipated highlighted for the Rome fans will be the men’s Long Jump battle between European indoor and outdoor champion Howe, Dwight Phillips of the USA, who is the reigning World and Olympic titleholder, and Louis Tsatoumas, the world seasonal leader who leapt to a 8.66 metres Greek record in his home town Kalamata.
In last year’s edition of the Golden Gala, Howe jumped 8.41 missing the long-standing Italian record of Giovanni Evangelisti by just two centimetres in a memorable competition.
Howe, who was surprisingly defeated by Portugal’s Nelson Evora at the European Cup First League in Milan last weekend, is looking forward to what is a crucial test in his build-up to Osaka.
“It will be a very hard competition. I know what went wrong in Milan and I am working to correct my mistakes. I am looking forward to meeting Tsatoumas. I will do my best to reestablish the hierarchy in Europe before the World Championships campaign in Osaka”, said Andrew Howe at the official press conference at the Musei Capitolini in Rome yesterday.
The only notable absentee will be Panama’s Irving Saladino who will compete at the Panamerican Games in Rio de Janeiro.
40 Global champions on show
During the official press conference meeting director Gigi D’Onofrio presented the line-up for the Golden Gala. The Rome meeting has attracted 14 Olympic gold medallists from Athens 2004, 26 reigning world outdoor champions from Helsinki 2005, and 26 european outdoor champions from Gothenburg 2006.
Long awaited - Isinbayeva vs Stuczynski
World, Olympic and European champion Yelena Isinbayeva will compete for the first time in Rome. Isinbayeva, the first woman in history able to clear 5 metres, will be challenged by 2007 US champion Jennifer Stuczynski who currently holds the world seasonal best with her 4.88 US record height.
Defar
Meseret Defar, who made history smashing her own World 5000m record with a sensational 14:16.63 in the opening leg of the IAAF Golden League in Oslo, will run her third race over this distance after Oslo and Ostrava (tonight). Vivian Cheruiyot, who also dipped under the previous world record with 14:22.51 (a Kenyan record) in the Oslo race and Ethiopian Meselesh Melkamu promise another memorable race which will live up to the glorious middle-distance tradition in Rome.
Powell and Richards
At the moment Asafa Powell, who got injury during his 10.04 winning race at the Jamaican Championships last week, is confirmed in the 100 metres line-up where the world record holder will pursue his Golden League hunt after his 9.94 win in Oslo.
Last year’s fellow World Athlete of the Year Sanya Richards will continue her attempt to bounce back from huge disappointment at the US Champs where she finished fourth missing out on the 400 metres line-up for Osaka. Fortunately, Richards qualified in the 200 metres where she finished second behind World champion Allyson Felix, who will line up in the 100 metres in Rome against last week’s US champion Torri Edwards.
Battle rejoined - Taylor vs Meritt
Angelo Taylor and Lashawn Merritt will offer another 400m duel after last week’s one-lap tussle at the US Champs in which 2000 Olympic 400m Hurdles champion Taylor prevailed by just one hundredth of a second in 44.05.
Hurdling to savour
The USA’s three best 400 metres hurdles specialists, World champion Bershawn Jackson, world season’s leader James Carter, and Kerron Clement will pose a strong challenge to last year’s European champion and World Athletics Final winner Periklis Iakovakis from Greece.
The Golden League sprint hurdles races are all-star affairs. The men’s 110m event will feature Cuban star Dayron Robles and the first three from the US Champs Terrence Trammell, Dominique Arnold and David Oliver. In the women’s 100m Hurdles, reigning World champion and Oslo race winner Michelle Perry, US champion Virginia Powell and European outdoor champion Susanna Kallur all line-up.
Top three go in the spear
Another highlight of the Rome Golden Gala will the men’s Javelin Throw with Finland’s Tero Pitkämäki, the winner in Oslo, Olympic and European champion Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway, and US record holder Breaux Greer (91.29 set last week in Indianapolis) making this event a sure-fire hit.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
