Rome became the epicenter of track and field brilliance on Friday as Jamaicans Shanieka Ricketts and Andrenette Knight delivered show-stopping performances at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea—marking the fifth stop of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League circuit.
Ricketts claimed her second Diamond League victory of the season in the women’s triple jump, while Knight secured her first-ever win on the prestigious tour with a commanding performance in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Their success highlighted an evening that also saw impressive podium finishes by compatriots Rushell Clayton, Rajindra Campbell, and Romaine Beckford, signaling Jamaica’s depth and strength across multiple disciplines.
Ricketts rules the pit with season’s best
From her very first attempt, Olympic silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts seized control of the women’s triple jump. Launching out to a season-best 14.64 meters, she set a tone that no one else could match for the rest of the competition.
“The competition felt really good,” Ricketts reflected after her win. “Achieving a season’s best on the first attempt – I am grateful for that. Leading from the beginning puts you in a relaxed mood.”
Despite her commanding lead, Ricketts admitted she couldn’t capitalize further.
“Unfortunately, I could not use that to jump further. Now I can build on this going forward.”
Behind her, Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez took second at 14.46m, with Olympic champion Thea LaFond of Dominica claiming third at 14.30m.
Knight’s breakthrough: Golden moment in the hurdles
In one of the meet’s most emotionally charged performances, Andrenette Knight stormed to victory in the women’s 400m hurdles with a season-best 53.67 seconds—a career milestone that catapulted her into the world’s top five.
“This season has been going well,” said a beaming Knight. “I just kind of had that number in mind, for no reason. I came so confident to Rome… it just has been improvement on improvement.”
Knight, who had impressed earlier at the Grand Slam meet in Philadelphia, held her form masterfully down the stretch, outlasting Italy’s Ayomide Folorunso (54.21) and fellow Jamaican Rushell Clayton, who also produced a season-best 54.31 for third place. Shiann Salmon finished seventh in 55.47 seconds.
“I know I am pretty strong. I have the speed, so it’s just a matter of tweaking a few things to bring the time down,” Knight added, visibly thrilled by her progression.
Campbell and Beckford return to form
After an uncharacteristic stumble in Poland, Rajindra Campbell rebounded emphatically in Rome, hurling the shot put 21.64 meters to grab third place behind New Zealand’s Tom Walsh, who led with a season-best 21.89m. Italy’s Zane Weir edged Campbell for second with 21.67m.
Romaine Beckford, meanwhile, soared to 2.26 meters in the men’s high jump—his season’s best—clinching third behind Korea’s Sanghyeok Woo (2.32m) and Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk (2.30m). Raymond Richards, the World Indoor bronze medalist, struggled on the night and placed 11th with 2.12m.
Solid performances in hurdles and jumps
In the men’s 110m hurdles, Orlando Bennett posted a season-best 13.29 seconds to finish fourth, narrowly missing the podium in a thrilling blanket finish. Switzerland’s Jason Joseph took gold in 13.14 seconds, edging American Cordell Tinch—also clocked at 13.14 seconds. Omar McLeod, the 2016 Olympic champion, placed eighth in 13.58 seconds.
In the men’s long jump, Carey McLeod landed at 8.01 meters, finishing fifth in a stacked field led by Liam Adcock of Australia, who claimed victory with a personal best 8.34m. Italy’s Mattia Furlani (8.13m) and Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou (8.10m), the reigning Olympic and world champion, completed the podium.
U.S. sprinter steals spotlight
Though Jamaica impressed across the board, the sprinting spotlight in Rome belonged to Trayvon Bromell of the United States. In a stunning display of power and precision, he clocked a world-leading 9.84 seconds in the men’s 100m. Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme followed in 9.99 seconds, and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala was third in 10.01 seconds.
