Golden Gala – an overview
I didn’t attend the 2024 Golden Gala, partly because I blew too much of my travel budget spending nine days in Rome for the European Championships earlier this year, but I’ve been a regular at the event since 2013. The Olympic Stadium (the 1960 Olympics, that is) has hosted the soccer (soccer, if necessary) World Cup and other major events. It is a magnificent stadium with a capacity of 55,000. The problem with the Golden Gala is that a respectable crowd of 10 or 15,000 leaves that huge Coliseum empty. One gold gala I attended in Florence, in a much smaller stadium, had a much better atmosphere.
We’re now in a strange post-Olympic period where several athletes have finished their seasons while others are trying to get over the disappointment of a year of either not being selected for the Olympics or a disappointing Olympic performance.
There were several outstanding performances in Rome. Faith Kipyegon won the 1500m in 3:52.89 in a race where the top 12 finished 4th. We’ve seen Faith run so fast and win so many races that it’s easy to forget what phenomenal times she runs every time she walks. on the track. Laura Muir has said that Faith is the greatest middle distance runner of all time, male or female. Faith’s story supports that view.
Tara Davis-Woodhall won the long jump in 7:02, her sixth seven-meter jump of the year. With their husband Hunter at the Paralympics this week, it could be a double family holiday.
He commented: “This year I said to myself. “no expectations”. I worked hard and trained with the boys and it paid off. It’s almost surreal. In other words, no one has jumped 7 meters as many times as me this year; I was invincible.
Letsile Tebogo, what a season he is having, won the 100m in 9.87. It was disappointing to see 2020 Olympic champion Marcel Jacobs finish last in his hometown in 10.20 minutes. Commenting on his speech, Tegogo raised one of the great questions of life. “This was one of my best 100m races. Until now, I’ve been imagining what a perfect 100+ race would look like. You have to lock it in your mind and then it can happen. I got off to a great start today and it got me thinking. “Why didn’t I have one like this in the Olympic final?”
Order was restored in the shot put with Ryan Kruser, who was beaten last by Joe Kovacs to win in 22.49. Christian Cheh won the discus with a time of 68.61. The men’s triple jump continues to disappoint as Andy Diaz Hernandez won in 17.32 minutes, with just two athletes clearing 17 meters. remember Jonathan Edwards’ 1995 world record of 18.29.
Winifred Yavi won the race in 8:44.39, a six-second PR and off the world record. Then he said: “I was expecting records, but I was going for it. I feel like I can crack it and I believe I will. I need to work harder. And I plan to run one more time before the season is over. Next year, my biggest goal is to become a double world champion.”
Olympic champion Nina Kennedy won the pole vault with a score of 4.83. However, I personally enjoyed watching Sandi Morris overcome the disappointment of missing the Olympics and also clearing for 4.83 seconds. Nothing negative about Nina, but Sandi brings so much to the sport.
Gebrhiwet of The Hague won the 5,000 in 12:51.07. This was billed as a record attempt with pacemakers, but turned into a competitive race with five athletes racing for the win, it’s all about timing.
The women’s sprint hurdles continued to delight as Ackera Nugent won in a Jamaican record 12.24, ahead of Olympic champion Masai Bussell in 12.31, phenomenal times in the ‘regular’ diamond league.
Next week, on to Zurich and the Weltklasse.
