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I get to the stadium on foot, it's about one and a half kilometer from the hotel, I see the gate of a terrace: I hope it's mine, but it isn't: I have to walk another bit. At the gate they don't ask me for the Covid self-certification, which I don't have, as I haven't found the form to print, but then they ask for it before entering the stadium (and they provide the form). They also warn that there are no bars inside (you cannot leave your own sector, and the only bar in the stadium is in another). I wear a FFP2 mask because it was required at the tennis open, but I see that many here have a surgical one. The seat the steward indicates to me does not seem to match the one on my ticket, so for a while I fear someone will come and claim it, but it won't happen.
As I feared, the high jump sector is on the other side, but it's not the case to be choosy it is already much I am here. As I wrote a few days ago, I no longer hoped for it. From my side you can see well the women's pole vault e. I will find out later, above all the shot put. As for the track, I am at the end of the second bend, so I can also see the start of 100 and 100hs well, but I cannot understand anything about placements. The seats assigned are 1 out of 4, in all rows, but many remain empty, also because many (hopefully cohabiting) sit close together.
When I take my seat, the second round of women's discus is ongoing: Perkovic has already taken the lead and she will keep it also in the final round, which for once will confirm the pre-existing ranking. Disappointing Osakue, widely last. The second event, women's pole vault, is even worse for Italy: already from the warm-up you could see that Bruni had problems and in the race she will not be able to cleary the initial height of 4.31, despite the advice of her coach on one side of the bend and of the national team's ones on the other. When the race gets underway, the interest will be absorbed by other competitions, especially men's high jump, but this too will prove to be a high level competition, with Sidorova's 4.91.
The shot put begins, and I find that I am in an ideal position to follow it. Fabbri throws first: you can see that he is way over 20 meters, even if it is not clear how much, but he is satisfied: 20.97. We see that the second is even better, but I didn't think so much: 21.71. His second best performance ever (and I was also there for the first).Anyway, the absurd formula of the last decisive throw will spoil everything: Fabbri will make only 19.82 and will finish third. In a few years, however, everyone will remember that he made 21.71, few that he did not win.
Prior to the start of the track races, there is a flag-waving exhibition and the handing over of the city keys to Coe (due to his 1981 record, made in the neighbour stadium next not tohis role as president of World Athletics). The first track event is women's 400hs: Folorunso starts slowly, I always think "now she comes back" instead she loses more ground. On the other hand, Olivieri does a good race, and Bol reaches the levels she was predicted to in the indoor season.
The second race is the men's 400: subdued, with 45.80 Re comes second. The music changes in the 3000st : we go on and two Italians remain in the leading group, with the third, Chiappinelli, not far away. You think that the others are going slowly and instead it may not be a monster pace, but El Bakkali will win with the world lead of 8'08 ": Abdelwahed (I confess: to write it I have to check) 4th in 8'12", Osama Zogliami 6th in 8'14"! Chiappinelli until the last lap will seem to be challenging the Olympic standard, but then he will give up, also risking tripping over the last hurdle, and will close in 8'27 ".
Meanwhile, HJ has begun, and at the beginning Tamberi seems to have the same problems as in his last race in Hengelo: a miss at 2.20, one at 2.24. He also starts with a low profile: only on the second attempt at 2.24 he begins to ask for cheers. But then he changes: 2.27 on first, 2.30 too, charging more and more. At 2.33 it is immediately clear that he can make it and on third he makes it. Even 2.36 did not seem impossible, especially in the third (for what I could see from my side, even with binoculars): so, if until last year 2.33 seemed an end point, now it seems a starting point. . He finishes third in a race full of surprises and ahead of Barshim, who stops at 2.30.
On track, great results first in hurdles and then in 200, with Asher-Smith's 22.08 and Kaddari's 22.86. The track does not seem "underperforming" at all, as Tortu said (or rather, his staff, I don't want to put the blame on him). At a certain point, even the speaker will say that the track is "very performing".
The last field event begins, women's long jump, which from my position I see very little: Iapichino jumps 6.45 and after the first round she is second. It seems like a starting point, but the others improve, she doesn't and closes sixth. Also in this race the ranking will be upset in the final round and Spanovic, with the third measure, will come first.
There are two other middle-long distance races, women's1500 and men's 5000, and with the presence of Hassan and Cheptegei respectively, the expectations are high, so when from the first laps you understand that they are not attacking the world record you are disapponted. But then 1500 will finish with three athletes at 3'53", but above all seeing Sabbatini in the group and Del Buono just behind you understand that they are having a great race and in fact Sabbatini closes in 4:04.23, with the only regret of being 3/100 ab ove the Olympic standard, Del Buono in 4'08". 5000, with one lap from the end, even seem to have become a tactical race, but then Ingebritsen will win in 12:48.45: European record! Crippa seems quite close up to 3 laps from the end, then gives in and closes in a 13'17" which we find disappointing today, but which we would have considered excellent three years ago.
The meeting ends with 100, which should have been the main race and instead not only it's the only race without Italians (even if the speaker remembers the presence of a Sinhalese resident in Italy, whose name I will not write), but it turns out to be most modest race, together with 400: you win with 10.08 and finish third with 10.16. Partial revenge, therefore for Tortu.
At the exit I meet Sabbatini, which from close up looks much more "normal" than in her posed photos of Instagram: I congratulate with her and she thanks me. I think we will go back to crowded stadiums, as much as they can be for athletics in Italy, and it will be a relief, but today's intimate atmosphere also has its charm, as it was for the Doha Marathon.
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