World record-holder Gudaf Tsegay and Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet will go head-to-head over 5000m at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in a race that looks set to provide one of the highlights of the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rome tomorrow.
Chebet is one of six Olympic champions who’ll be in action in the Italian capital, and the Kenyan heads there in sensational form. At the recent Diamond League meeting in Rabat, she cruised to an 8:11.56 African record over 3000m, going to second on the world all-time list.
Prior to that, Chebet had won over 5000m in Xiamen, beating Tsegay by one second. But Tsegay is the last woman to beat Chebet in a Diamond League race, doing so at the Diamond League Final in Eugene in 2023 and with a world record to boot (14:00.21).
Chebet finished second on that occasion in a PB of 14:05.92, but her recent form suggests it’s ready for revision. The meeting record of 14:12.59 is a slightly easier – but still lofty – target.
Two-time world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu is also entered, as is home favourite Nadia Battocletti, the Olympic 10,000m silver medallist, along with USA’s Karissa Schweizer.
Less than a week after running a world-leading 43.76 in Nairobi, all eyes will be on Zakithi Nene in the men’s 400m.
The South African will take on Olympic champion Quincy Hall, 2024 world indoor champion Alexander Doom, European silver medallist Charlie Dobson and Olympic relay silver medallist Busang Collen Kebinatshipi of Botswana.
In the women’s discus, two-time Olympic champion Valarie Allman takes on the winners of the past four world titles: Laulauga Tausaga, Feng Bin, Yaime Perez and Sandra Elkasevic.
Three weeks after stepping up in distance to win the 5000m at the Diamond League meeting in Doha, Kenya’s Reynold Cheruiyot moves back down to his specialist distance, the 1500m.
The 2022 world U20 champion takes on 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot, African champion Brian Komen, European indoor silver medallist Azeddine Habz and Commonwealth champion Ollie Hoare.
Elsewhere in the sprints, 2022 Fred Kerley goes in the men’s 100m while fellow US sprinter Anavia Battle leads the women’s 200m.
