Man of the moment, Justin Gatlin, is set to continue his unbeaten streak in two years as the Diamond League series hits Rome, Italy on Thursday. The American ran a superb race in Doha to clock a Personal Best (PB) and Meeting Record (MR) of 9.74s, before going on to equal his PB of 19.68s in the 200m last week in Eugene.
Gatlin is a three-time winner in Rome and will aim to defend his title and better the MR of 9.76s set by fierce rival, Usain Bolt in 2012. Other 2015 sub-10 runners in the field include teammate Micheal Rodgers (10.96s), Jamaica’s Nesta Carter (9.98s), and former World Champion Kim Collins (9.99s). South Africa’s Akani Simbine is also listed in the line-up.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who announced her comeback with a World Lead (WL) of 10.81s in the 100m in Eugene, will compete in the 200m in Rome. The Jamaican comes with a Season’s Best (SB) of 22.37s and will be joined by three of her compatriots, Sherone Simpson (22.64s), Simone Facey (22.65s), Antonique Strachan (22.69s), and USA’s Jeneba Tarmoh (22.75s).
In the men’s 200m, Kenya’s Carvin Nkanata (20.14s) will go against Aaron Brown of Canada (20.30s), Great Britain’s third fastest man ever, Chijindu Ujah (20.50s), former European champion, Christophe Lemaitre and Italy’s Eseosa Desalu (20.55s).
After missing out on a tantalizing clash with team mates, Sanya Richards-Ross and Allyson Felix in Eugene, world No.3 in the women’s 400m, Francena McCorory will be expected to dominate the race in Rome as she squares up against Commonwealth champion, Stephenie-Ann McPherson (50.40s), 2014 Diamond race winner, Novelene Williams-Mills (51.11s) and Zambia’s Kabange Mupopo.
The women’s 100m hurdles is expected to be one of the highlights of the Golden Gala with a STACKED field comprising of world leader Jasmine Stowers; reigning world champion, Brianna Rollins; Olympic GOLD
medallist, Sally Pearson, and 2014 and Diamond race winner, Dawn Harper-Nelson.
Also competing in the event are European champion and Great Britain’s record holder, Tiffany Porter, Queen Harrison, and current world No.3, Sharika Nelvis who finished 2nd behind Stowers in Doha. Stowers edged out the more experienced trio of Pearson, Porter and Harper Nelson in Doha and will be keen on replicating same in Rome; how she holds her own against Rollins is an entirely different matter altogether.
The Nigerian interest in Rome is none other than national women’s 400m Hurdles champion, Amaka Ogoegbunam who will be making her debut in the Diamond League! Ogoegbunam comes with an SB of 57.67s set earlier in the year, but would need to be at her best if she’s to have a good outing against European Champion, Eilidh Child; former world champion, Lashinda Demus of the USA, and Jamaica’s Janeive Russell.
Cuba’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo is becoming something of an enigma, and justifiably so. The 21-year old is in blistering form and has been breaking records with ease since his 2015 campaign began. He put up an exciting show alongside Olympic champion, Christian Taylor at the Doha Diamond League, which he won with a WL of 18.06m, inspiring the American to jump a lifetime best of 18.04m.
Pichardo only last week set another National Record (NR) and PB of 18.08m in Havana and is sure to make mincemeat of the MR of 17.60m set by World Record Holder, Jonathan Edwards in 1998. His opponents include London 2012 Bronze medallist, Will Claye, reigning European champion, Benjamin Campoare, Commonwealth champion, Khotso Mokoena.
Another jumper who is on the move to break more records is Renaud Lavillenie who leapt to an outdoor PB of 6.05m in the Pole Vault in Eugene. Erasing the MR of 5.94m set by six-time world champion and former World record holder, Sergey Bubka will be in order. Other contenders are: Raphael Holzdeppe (5.80m), Greece’s Konstantinos Fillipidis (5.75m) and his younger brother Valentin Lavillenie (5.70m).
World and Olympic champion, Sandra Perkovic will compete in the women’s Discus throw, while former world champion in the women’s High Jump, Blanka Vlasic will be at hand to defend the MR (2.03m) she jointly holds with the trio of South Africa’s Hestrie Cloete (2004), Yelena Slesarenko (2004) and Chaunté Lowe (2010).
