Golden Gala

File:Golden gala logo.svg

Logo

Golden Gala is an annual track and field event normally held at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamond League. Following the 2013 death of Italian sprinting legend Pietro Mennea, the organizers added his name to the title of the meet.

The 2021 and 2023 events were temporarily relocated to Florence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Primo Nebiolo, the Italian president of IAAF since 1981, was the founder of the Golden Gala and had the idea to bring the athletes and the people from the United States and the NATO countries together after their boycott of the Moscow Olympics in 1980 as a result of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Nebiolo died of a heart attack at age 76 in 1999.

File:Usain Bolt - Golden Gala - Rome, Italy - 26 May 2011.jpg

Usain Bolt at the 2011 Golden Gala

At the 2009 edition of the Golden Gala, Kenenisa Bekele, Kerron Stewart, Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva all remained on target for the 2009 Golden League jackpot.<ref>Powell, David (2009-07-10). Bekele – ‘I’m dreaming about this jackpot’ – ÅF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-07-23.</ref> In the 100 m, Tyson Gay equalled his American record and Daniel Bailey set an Antiguan record in the men's race.<ref name=BR2009>Template:Cite web</ref> Antonietta Di Martino brought the sole Italian victory in Rome by beating off favourite Blanka Vlašić in the high jump.<ref name=BR2009/>

Editions

In 1981 the IAAF World Cup was held in Rome, so no Golden Gala meeting was organized.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Golden Gala editions

Template:Abbr	Meeting	Series	Date	Template:Abbr
Template:Ord	1980 Golden Gala		5 Aug 1980	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1982 Golden Gala		14 Sep 1982	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1983 Golden Gala		1 Sep 1983	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1984 Golden Gala		31 Aug 1984	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1985 Golden Gala	1985 IAAF Grand Prix	9 Jul 1985	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1986 Golden Gala	1986 IAAF Grand Prix	10 Sep 1986	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1987 Golden Gala	1987 IAAF Grand Prix	22 Jul 1987	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1988 Golden Gala	1988 IAAF Grand Prix	27 Jul 1988	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1989 Golden Gala	1989 IAAF Grand Prix	19 Jul 1989	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1990 Golden Gala	1990 IAAF Grand Prix	18 Jul 1990	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1991 Golden Gala	1991 IAAF Grand Prix	17 Jul 1991	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1992 Golden Gala	1992 IAAF Grand Prix	9 Jun 1992	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1993 Golden Gala	1993 IAAF Grand Prix	9 Jun 1993	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1994 Golden Gala	1994 IAAF Grand Prix	8 Jun 1994	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1995 Golden Gala	1995 IAAF Grand Prix	8 Jun 1995	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1996 Golden Gala	1996 IAAF Grand Prix	5 Jun 1996	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1997 Golden Gala	1997 IAAF Grand Prix	5 Jun 1997	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1998 Golden Gala	1998 IAAF Golden League	14 Jul 1998	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	1999 Golden Gala	1999 IAAF Golden League	7 Jul 1999	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2000 Golden Gala	2000 IAAF Golden League	30 Jun 2000	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2001 Golden Gala	2001 IAAF Golden League	29 Jun 2001	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2002 Golden Gala	2002 IAAF Golden League	12 Jul 2002	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2003 Golden Gala	2003 IAAF Golden League	11 Jul 2003	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2004 Golden Gala	2004 IAAF Golden League	2 Jul 2004	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2005 Golden Gala	2005 IAAF Golden League	8 Jul 2005	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2006 Golden Gala	2006 IAAF Golden League	14 Jul 2006	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2007 Golden Gala	2007 IAAF Golden League	13 Jul 2007	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2008 Golden Gala	2008 IAAF Golden League	11 Jul 2008	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2009 Golden Gala	2009 IAAF Golden League	10 Jul 2009	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2010 Golden Gala	2010 Diamond League	10 Jun 2010	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2011 Golden Gala	2011 Diamond League	26 May 2011	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2012 Golden Gala	2012 Diamond League	31 May 2012	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2013 Golden Gala	2013 Diamond League	6 Jun 2013	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2014 Golden Gala	2014 Diamond League	5 Jun 2014	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2015 Golden Gala	2015 Diamond League	4 Jun 2015	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2016 Golden Gala	2016 Diamond League	2 Jun 2016	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2017 Golden Gala	2017 Diamond League	8 Jun 2017	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2018 Golden Gala	2018 Diamond League	31 May 2018	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2019 Golden Gala	2019 Diamond League	6 Jun 2019	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2020 Golden Gala	2020 Diamond League	17 Sep 2020	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2021 Golden Gala	2021 Diamond League	10 Jun 2021	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2022 Golden Gala	2022 Diamond League	9 Jun 2022	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2023 Golden Gala	2023 Diamond League	2 Jun 2023	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2024 Golden Gala	2024 Diamond League	30 Aug 2024	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Ord	2025 Golden Gala	2025 Diamond League	6 Jun 2025	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

World records

Over the course of its history, ten world records have been set at the Gala. The 1500 metres and Mile records by Hicham El Guerrouj still stand. In 2014 Joanne Pavey's 15:04.87 in the 5000 metres bettered the existing masters world record in the W40 division by almost 16 seconds.

World records set at the Golden Gala

Year	Event	Record	Athlete	Nationality
1983	Pole vault	5.83 m	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu
1984	Pole vault	5.94 m	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu
		5.91 m	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu
1987	Template:Sort	12:58.39	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu
1995	Template:Sort	12:55.30	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu
1998	Template:Sort	3:26.00	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu
1999	Template:Sort	3:43.13	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu
2000	Javelin throw	68.22 m	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu
2008	Pole vault	5.03 m	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu
2023	Template:Sort	3:49.11	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu

Meeting records

Men

Men's meeting records of the Golden Gala [1]

Event	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Template:Abbr
100 m	9.75 Template:Wind	Justin Gatlin	Template:Flagu	4 June 2015	2015	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
200 m	19.70 Template:Wind	Michael Norman	Template:Flagu	6 June 2019	2019	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
400 m	43.62	Jeremy Wariner	Template:Flagu	14 July 2006	2006
800 m	1:42.79	Wilson Kipketer	Template:Flagu	7 July 1999	1999
1500 m	3:26.00 WR	Hicham El Guerrouj	Template:Flagu	14 July 1998	1998
Mile	3:43.13 WR	Hicham El Guerrouj	Template:Flagu	7 July 1999	1999
2000 m	4:54.02	Vénuste Niyongabo	Template:Flagu	8 June 1995	1995
3000 m	7:26.64	Jacob Kiplimo	Template:Flagu	17 September 2020	2020	<ref name="Nicole Jeffery">Template:Cite news</ref>
5000 m	12:46.33	Nicholas Kimeli	Template:Flagu	9 June 2022	2022	<ref name="Jess Whittington">Template:Cite news</ref>
10,000 m	28:59.82	Mark Donahue	Template:Flagu	10 September 1986	1986	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
110 m hurdles	13.01 Template:Wind	Allen Johnson	Template:Flagu	7 July 1999	1999
	13.01 Template:Wind	Omar McLeod	Template:Flagu	10 June 2021	2021	<ref name="worldathletics.org">Template:Cite news</ref>
400 m hurdles	47.07	Karsten Warholm	Template:Flagu	17 September 2020	2020	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
3000 m steeplechase	7:54.31	Paul Kipsiele Koech	Template:Flagu	31 May 2012	2012	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
High jump	2.41 m	Mutaz Essa Barshim	Template:Flagu	5 June 2014	2014	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Pole vault	6.15 m	Armand Duplantis	Template:Flagu	17 September 2020	2020	<ref name="Nicole Jeffery"/>
Long jump	8.61 m Template:Wind	Dwight Phillips	Template:Flagu	10 July 2009	2009	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Triple jump	17.96 m Template:Wind	Pedro Pichardo	Template:Flagu	4 June 2015	2015	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Shot put	22.49 m	Ryan Crouser	Template:Flagu	30 August 2024	2024	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Discus throw	70.72 m	Kristjan Ceh	Template:Flagu	9 June 2022	2022	<ref name="Jess Whittington"/>
Hammer throw	84.88 m	Sergey Litvinov	Template:Flagu	10 September 1986	1986
Javelin throw	90.34 m	Andreas Thorkildsen	Template:Flagu	14 July 2006	2006
3000 m (walk)	10:57.77	Francesco Fortunato	Template:Flagu	9 June 2022	2022	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
4 × 100 m relay	38.31	Santa Monica Track Club: Michael Marsh Leroy Burrell Floyd Heard Carl Lewis	Template:Flagu	8 June 1994	1994
4 × 400 m relay	3:01.76 DLR	Nigel Levine Conrad Williams Chris Clarke Jack Green	Template:Flagu	31 May 2012	2012	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Women

Women's meeting records of the Golden Gala [2]

Event	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Template:Abbr
100 m	10.75 Template:Wind	Marion Jones	Template:Flagu	14 July 1998	1998
	10.75 Template:Wind	Kerron Stewart	Template:Flagu	10 July 2009	2009	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
200 m	21.91 Template:Wind	Shericka Jackson	Template:Flagu	9 June 2022	2022	<ref name="Jess Whittington"/>
400 m	49.17	Marita Koch	Template:Flagu	10 September 1986	1986
800 m	1:55.69	Pamela Jelimo	Template:Flagu	11 July 2008	2008
1500 m	3:49.11	Faith Kipyegon	Template:Flagu	2 June 2023	2023	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="WA-ratified-07Aug2023">Template:Cite press release</ref>
Mile	4:21.38	Paula Ivan	Template:Flagu	19 July 1989	1989
3000 m	8:23.96	Olga Yegorova	Template:Flagu	29 June 2001	2001
5000 m	14:03.69	Beatrice Chebet	Template:Flagu	6 June 2025	2025	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
100 m hurdles	12.24 Template:Wind	Ackera Nugent	Template:Flagu	30 August 2024	2024	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
400 m hurdles	52.43	Femke Bol	Template:Flagu	2 June 2023	2023	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
3000 m steeplechase	8:44.39	Winfred Yavi	Template:Flagu	30 August 2024	2024	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
High jump	2.03 m	Yelena Slesarenko	Template:Flagu	2 July 2004	2004	<ref name="rome04">Template:Cite web</ref>
		Hestrie Cloete	Template:Flagu	2 July 2004	2004	<ref name="rome04" />
		Blanka Vlašić	Template:Flagu	10 June 2010	2010
		Chaunté Howard-Lowe	Template:Flagu	10 June 2010	2010
Pole vault	5.03 m	Yelena Isinbayeva	Template:Flagu	13 July 2007	2007
Long jump	7.23 m Template:Wind	Marion Jones	Template:Flagu	14 July 1998	1998
Triple jump	15.29 m Template:Wind	Yamilé Aldama	Template:Flagu	11 July 2003	2003
Shot put	21.03 m DLR	Valerie Adams	Template:Flagu	31 May 2012	2012	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Discus throw	69.21 m	Valarie Allman	Template:Flagu	6 June 2025	2025	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Javelin throw	68.66 m	Barbora Špotáková	Template:Flagu	10 June 2010	2010
4 × 100 m relay	43.64	Nataliya Strohova Yelizaveta Bryzgina Olesya Povh Natalia Pohrebniak	Template:Flagu	2 June 2016	2016	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Notturna di Milano
• Rieti Meeting
• Memorial Primo Nebiolo

External links

• Diamond League – Rome Official Web Site
• Golden Gala Meeting Records