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It was a little easier tan expected to get to the stadium area , but once again access to the parking lots is blocked. Eventually I find a place in a street around, uphill: it was not as difficult as two years ago, but still about 1 km from the gates. Upon arrival at the external gate (the "pre-filtering" of football) they ask me for the ticket: I thought that the ticket office was inside (also because I didn't see any outside), I ask and they confirm it, but they insist they want the ticket. In the end they understand that I still have to do it. Years ago I bought it in advance, then I stopped because there are always so many, of all categories, and then I wasn't even sure who was coming with me.
I choose the south stands, to better see the high jump sector. I am very curious to see if there will be more people than other years. For the moment it doesn't seem so, but it is only 19:10: the only full sector is the North Bend, where there are the boys and girls who have run the Palio of Cities, and among them there is my daughter (who is in the sector nearby). Eventually the North Bend will fill up almost completely, the other sectors less (mine very little), but you will see that there are more people than usual: they will talk about 38,000, more than in all the days of the European Championships in Berlin but one.
When I arrive, the men's shot put and the women's long jump are in progress. Of the former I see the platform, but not so much the landing area, covered by the scoreboard. Of the latter on the opposite straight, I see the runoff, but I can't understand anything, since the sandbox is covered by the metric bar (the one that was missing in the 1987 WCH ...) and I have to rely solely on the screen (at least I can see it well): before going to get something to eat I hear about 7.07 by Mihambo, which will be enough to win. Then the women's pole vault begins, on the opposite side to mine: I look at it with binoculars, but at times you don't see the bar, except when it falls, especially when it is at 4.46. The race will end with 7 athletes to try 4.76 and only Bengtsson (whom I remember at the U18 World Championships in Bressanone, in 2009) that will succeed on third attempt: one of the many surprises of the meeting.
On track, the masters races are over when I arrive: there are the Paralympic races, then the preliminary races end with the final of the Palio of Cities. My daughter's team, Ciampino's (which ran at 1.45pm, behind closed doors), did not qualify. It is a mixed 12X200, with only the first leg in lanes. The favourites of the X District of Rome dominate, winning with 5 seconds on the second (Rieti) and 17 on the third.
The Diamond League races begin with the two competiotions of 400hs: impressive Banjamin and Muhammad, a little disappointing the Italians, but at least they don't arrive last. Then the long distance starts with the 800s, and there is the usual problem of distinguishing the athletes with uniforms all the same (or at least not representative), even if this year with the two-colored ones it goes a little better. At least Amos stands out because he is bald: I think he won with meeting record and world lead, and I celebrate because of my fantasy games, but then I find out that he was beaten. From my position, shortly after the finish line, positions and, above all, distances do not stand out well: even in the 100 women I am not so sure that Thompson has beaten Asher-Smith, instead the difference is 5/100th. In the meantime, high jump started: Tamberi jumps last. At the presentation he starts af if he had been bitten by a tarantula and does a ballet all along the bend. It starts at 2.15: almost everyone enters the race and one leaves immediately. At 2.22, they begin to have problems in many, and even more so at 2.25, where they will remain 5. Tobe and Starc, who had done so well in recent months, also get out soon . Bondarenko is the one that impresses the most, but he also makes a couple of mistakes. Tamberi goes safe until 2.22, then clears 2.25 on second, while he clears 2.28 only on third and with the bar shaking for a while. He always charges himself for quite a while, enough to make me fear that time runs out, and once he will go really close. At 2.31 only on third hegives the impression of being able to do it, but he is out. Only Bondarenko clears them, at 2.33 there is also Nedasekau who has kept an attempt and after a miss by both the race ends.
At 9pm Presient Mattarella arrives: I hear some whistling, but still less than applause, which are not too many. They play the anthem: I hear it singing loud, but maybe it's just my neighbors
The track races continue with the 5000: the first go at a pace of less than 13' and Crippa remains not far behind, always between 5 and 7 seconds. I wonder if it will last: he closes 17 seconds behind the first, but that means 13:09.52, the best result by an Italian for over 25 years! Always for the jerseys' problem, I realize only after that Barega has lost. We arrive then to the clou, at least for track races: 200. Norman and Lyles start incredibly fast and make a gap, but Tortu does not seem very far. When I see that Norman won in 19.70, I think that the time of Tortu is excellent too, instead it is 20.36, worse than two years ago: anyway, he is still fifth.
They close cwith 3000sc : Chiappinelli is cautious, then loses a few more positions, but closes with his PB and the WCH standard. Ossama Zoglami does even better, entering the all-time Italian top 10.
Among the best Golden Gala I've seen: so many great performances (among those that I have not even mentioned the 3"56 ' of Dibaba and Muir) and many upsets. Sorry onlyfor Tamberi and Tortu. Next year will be in Milan, and who knows if I can go there.
I choose the south stands, to better see the high jump sector. I am very curious to see if there will be more people than other years. For the moment it doesn't seem so, but it is only 19:10: the only full sector is the North Bend, where there are the boys and girls who have run the Palio of Cities, and among them there is my daughter (who is in the sector nearby). Eventually the North Bend will fill up almost completely, the other sectors less (mine very little), but you will see that there are more people than usual: they will talk about 38,000, more than in all the days of the European Championships in Berlin but one.
When I arrive, the men's shot put and the women's long jump are in progress. Of the former I see the platform, but not so much the landing area, covered by the scoreboard. Of the latter on the opposite straight, I see the runoff, but I can't understand anything, since the sandbox is covered by the metric bar (the one that was missing in the 1987 WCH ...) and I have to rely solely on the screen (at least I can see it well): before going to get something to eat I hear about 7.07 by Mihambo, which will be enough to win. Then the women's pole vault begins, on the opposite side to mine: I look at it with binoculars, but at times you don't see the bar, except when it falls, especially when it is at 4.46. The race will end with 7 athletes to try 4.76 and only Bengtsson (whom I remember at the U18 World Championships in Bressanone, in 2009) that will succeed on third attempt: one of the many surprises of the meeting.
On track, the masters races are over when I arrive: there are the Paralympic races, then the preliminary races end with the final of the Palio of Cities. My daughter's team, Ciampino's (which ran at 1.45pm, behind closed doors), did not qualify. It is a mixed 12X200, with only the first leg in lanes. The favourites of the X District of Rome dominate, winning with 5 seconds on the second (Rieti) and 17 on the third.
The Diamond League races begin with the two competiotions of 400hs: impressive Banjamin and Muhammad, a little disappointing the Italians, but at least they don't arrive last. Then the long distance starts with the 800s, and there is the usual problem of distinguishing the athletes with uniforms all the same (or at least not representative), even if this year with the two-colored ones it goes a little better. At least Amos stands out because he is bald: I think he won with meeting record and world lead, and I celebrate because of my fantasy games, but then I find out that he was beaten. From my position, shortly after the finish line, positions and, above all, distances do not stand out well: even in the 100 women I am not so sure that Thompson has beaten Asher-Smith, instead the difference is 5/100th. In the meantime, high jump started: Tamberi jumps last. At the presentation he starts af if he had been bitten by a tarantula and does a ballet all along the bend. It starts at 2.15: almost everyone enters the race and one leaves immediately. At 2.22, they begin to have problems in many, and even more so at 2.25, where they will remain 5. Tobe and Starc, who had done so well in recent months, also get out soon . Bondarenko is the one that impresses the most, but he also makes a couple of mistakes. Tamberi goes safe until 2.22, then clears 2.25 on second, while he clears 2.28 only on third and with the bar shaking for a while. He always charges himself for quite a while, enough to make me fear that time runs out, and once he will go really close. At 2.31 only on third hegives the impression of being able to do it, but he is out. Only Bondarenko clears them, at 2.33 there is also Nedasekau who has kept an attempt and after a miss by both the race ends.
At 9pm Presient Mattarella arrives: I hear some whistling, but still less than applause, which are not too many. They play the anthem: I hear it singing loud, but maybe it's just my neighbors
The track races continue with the 5000: the first go at a pace of less than 13' and Crippa remains not far behind, always between 5 and 7 seconds. I wonder if it will last: he closes 17 seconds behind the first, but that means 13:09.52, the best result by an Italian for over 25 years! Always for the jerseys' problem, I realize only after that Barega has lost. We arrive then to the clou, at least for track races: 200. Norman and Lyles start incredibly fast and make a gap, but Tortu does not seem very far. When I see that Norman won in 19.70, I think that the time of Tortu is excellent too, instead it is 20.36, worse than two years ago: anyway, he is still fifth.
They close cwith 3000sc : Chiappinelli is cautious, then loses a few more positions, but closes with his PB and the WCH standard. Ossama Zoglami does even better, entering the all-time Italian top 10.
Among the best Golden Gala I've seen: so many great performances (among those that I have not even mentioned the 3"56 ' of Dibaba and Muir) and many upsets. Sorry onlyfor Tamberi and Tortu. Next year will be in Milan, and who knows if I can go there.
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