ROME, Italy – Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson will be among an elite group of sprinters competing in the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome on August 30, a highly anticipated stop in the Wanda Diamond League circuit.
The 100m race promises to be a fierce rematch of the Paris Olympics final, with some of the world’s best sprinters once again battling it out on the track.
Thompson, who claimed the silver medal at the Paris Olympics with a time of 9.79 seconds, is the seasonal world leader, having clocked an impressive 9.77 seconds in June. In Paris, he narrowly lost to the USA’s Noah Lyles by just five-thousandths of a second, despite both runners posting identical times.
The Rome showdown will also feature a strong field, including United States’ Fred Kerley, the Olympic bronze medalist who clocked 9.81 seconds in Paris. Adding to the excitement is the return of Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, the Tokyo 2021 Olympic champion, who finished fifth in Paris but remains a force to be reckoned with. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who placed sixth in Paris before winning the 200m final, will also be in the mix.
Showcase of sprinting talent
The line-up in Rome will be a showcase of sprinting talent, with six men who have all run under 9.86 seconds this season set to compete. Among them are the USA’s Christian Coleman, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake, and Italy’s rising star Chituru Ali.
For Fred Kerley, the Golden Gala holds special significance, having won the 100m title in Rome in 2022 and Florence in 2023. Meanwhile, Marcell Jacobs returns to the Stadio Olimpico less than three months after capturing gold at the European Championships with a time of 10.02 seconds.
The race is set to be one of the highlights of the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, with fans eagerly awaiting the rematch between Thompson and Kerley, and the potential for new season-best performances.
