Four world leaders and three home wins
ROME (ITA, June 4). Four world leaders highlighted Pietro Mennea’s Golden Gala, the first European round of the Wanda Diamond League. The home fans were thrilled with Italy’s three wins and two matches. Five of the fifteen winners achieved their first DL win. Lyles won the sprint events, but Jefferson-Wooden lost. Next Wanda Diamond League match: BAUHAUS-Galan in Stockholm, scheduled for Sunday, June 7.
Brief event-by-event reviews
Women
200 m. Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred clearly defeated three-time world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, 21.93 (1.3) to 22.17. His first loss at the distance since early May 2025.
400 m. Henriette Yager had a great season opener in the 400m with a win in 49.60 EL. For world champion Lourdes Gloria Manuel, the first time under 50 seconds is second in 49.77 (also in the season opener). Kelly Hodgkinson was seventh in a PB of 51.14.
1500 m. World indoor champion Georgia Hunter-Bell won in 3:58.63. Klaudia Kazimerska edged Nicky Hiltz in second place in 3:59.24 to 3:59.26.
5000 m. Likina Amebo finished her sprint to perfection to claim her first ever DL with a 14:18.41 PB and world lead ahead of Aleshign Baweke (14:18.54 PB) and Freweyni Hailu (14:18.94 PB) as the Ethiopians rounded out the top seven. National records of Bahrain’s Winfred Yawi (14:30.06) and France’s Sarah Madeleine (14:37.80) in eighth and 11th place. Nadia Battocletti finished 13th in 14:40.05 in her first race back from the flu.
100 m hurdles. 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Megan Simmonds won in 12.50 (0.8) ahead of Kendra Harrison (12.54) and Nadine Visser (12.58) for her first Diamond League victory.
400 m hurdles. Despite hitting the last hurdle, Emma Zapletalova improved her Slovak record and world lead to 52.58 (No. 3 on the European all-time list) ahead of Anna Cockrell’s 52.77.
Pole vault. The first attempt to win a count-off with Olympic champion Nina Kennedy and European champion Angelica Moser closed out world champion Molly Coder at 4.80m.
Men
100 m. 9.88 (0.4) for Noah Lyles in the final race of the evening. Emmanuel Esseme was a surprise second in Cameroon’s record 9.94, while Letsile Tebogo improved to 9.95 for third. Marcell Jacobs was a promising fifth with a 9.99.
800m (non-DL). European champion Gabriel Tual returned to form with a 1:43.66 win to finish quickly ahead of Mark English in 1:43.80. World 1500m champion Isaac Nader was fifth in 1:44.28.
110 m hurdles. Trey Cunningham breaks the 13-second barrier for the first time with a world-leading 12.98 (0.5), the first sub-13-second mark in 2026. Jamal Britt finished last after clearing the 9th hurdle.
High jump. A big home win for Matteo Cioli with 2.28m for his first position in the diamond league.
Long jump. Sixth round fireworks as Miltiadis Tentoglu jumps 8.24m (-0.4)… only Bozhidar Saraboykov betters the Greek’s 8.26m (-0.1) for his DL premiership win on the final jump of the competition.
Triple jump. Andy Diaz’s home win of 17.59m (-0.1) over Jamaicans Jordan Scott (17.33m/-0.2) and Jaydon Hibbert (17.02m/-0.8).
Shooting. Leonardo Fabbri’s victory at home with 22.14m over his great American rivals Joe Kovacs (21.87m) and Ryan Kruser (21.50m).
Javelin. The first 90-meter throw of 2026. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Patirag extended his world lead to 92.62m, his first 90m throw, meet and national record (8th best ever), beating Grenada’s Anderson Peters (83.91m) by almost 10m.
