Athletics Golden Gala (30-08-2024)

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The Golden Gala returns to Rome after the (splendid) parenthesis in Florence, athletics returns two and a half months after the triumphant European Championships. I wonder how many people will be there: when I bought the tickets two days ago there were not many left, but we have to see how many blocks were sold out and how many simply closed. I arrive at the stadium quite quickly: as in other years, there are some closed car parks, but I still find a place more or less where I used to park during the European Championships when I arrived in the morning, i.e. near the Foreign Ministry. The entrance is also quick, both at the pre-filtering and at the turnstiles: I am a little disappointed that this time that I did not bring my backpack, there is no fast lane for those who haven't, but there is no need, also because they check everyone very little.

So, for one of the first times in my life, especially for athletics, I arrive ahead of schedule: I make it in time to get some food (also because there is no one there), go to the bathroom, find my seat with a bit of difficulty (also because there are very few stewards) and I arrive that they are presenting the athletes of the first race, the discus throw. As soon as I sit down, I realise that I have not chosen the best seat, even if I should know the Olympic Stadium well: I am too low, I can already see the discus platform well, but when it lands between the two tapes (65 and 70 metres) I do not understand the measure. For the horizontal jumps the sandbox is on the other side and so I am not able to assess the measures. I wonder what I will see of the shot put, which is on the opposite side. Also on track, I can't see the outer lanes on my side, but I feared worse: in the 400 I won't see the legs of the outermost 2-3 athletes.

I think that, for being at the beginning, the crowd is not very few: the lower half of the South Curve, the South-East stands and the two blocks of Monte Mario closest to the finish are almost full. It's just that the situation won't change much: those sectors will eventually fill up, but for the rest there will be a few people in the Monte Mario start side and 20-25 rows of the Tevere quite full, then emptiness. Even in my block (however small), which should be sold out, there will be a few empty spaces. A depressing situation, even more than on the first day of the European Championships (and as then, it is also noticeable from the fact that the kiosks are deserted).

We start with the discus: enthusiasm of the public for Mannucci, first Italian in the competition, which will not be repaid, since he will be eliminated after a throw under 60 metres and two fouls. Alekna starts with 66.90 and after the first round he is in the lead, then in the second round he will be overtaken by Stona, who in turn will be overtaken by Ceh at the final throw. The triple jump follows: Diaz is the first to step onto the platform, he greets the Tevere, receiving much applause. As I said, live I can't have any idea of the measure: from what I see from the video it seems to be well over 17 metres, instead it's 16.84, but anyway in the first round no one will do better. In the second he improves to 17.32, in the third he is injured, but he will then manage to come back for the final jump. Success is never in question; only Hess, on the last jump, will reach 17.01.

The shot put starts: as I feared, I can see very little: I struggle to distinguish the platform and if I can only see if a throw is before or after the two tapes (20 and 22 metres), not by how much. However, with the help of the binoculars, I understand that Crouser's first throw is well over 22 metres: 22.26. Fabbri's first throw, on the other hand, seems close to 22, but I don't realise that it is out of range. Crouser then wins with 22.49, while Fabbri comes second with 21.70 on the third throw, then repeates on the fourth. After the first round of the shot put and the final round of the discus, I go to get something to eat and going up the aisle towards the exit (my place is below the entrance level) I see that I can see much better. I could look for a higher seat, but I don't, fearing (naively, I later discover) that the grandstand will fill up.

The women's pole vault also starts: the two Italians are among the few to enter at 4.23, both clearing on first, then at 4.43 Molinarolo will stop, while Bruni will clear on first both them and 4.53 (which I will miss). At 4.73 they remain in 3, at 4.83 in 2, but the final duel between Morris and Kennedy will coincide with the decisive stages of the men's high, so I will see very little of it. There is also the usual Palio dei Comuni, mixed 12X200 relay in which I discover to my surprise that, unlike the mixed 4X400, the order of boys and girls is not fixed.

When the races of the official programme begin, with the 400, I notice that my position also has its advantages: seeing the athletes so closely one can see the running style well and in the 3000 steeplechase one can see the hurdles well. After the 400, there are the two races which, to my surprise, will turn out to be the highest level ones: first the 100hs, where I will not believe my eyes when I see Nugent's time: 12.24, the fourth fastest time ever, then the women's 3000 steeplechase, where the light pacer is set on the world lead of 8'52’, but the first two are far ahead and on the last lap I realise they are not far off the world record. In the end they fight to the last for the world record, but no one notices: the speaker says that Yavi's time, 8:44.39, is the world lead, only later will he say that it is the second world time ever (I remembered that the record was 8'44’, but not the exact time, it is actually 8:44.32).

Meanwhile, however, the main race began: the men's high jump. Already in the warm-up each of Tamberi's jumps was celebrated as if we were already in the competition. They start at 2.15, but Gimbo enters at 2.20, clearing them on first, then makes 2.24 again on first and 2.27 on second. At 2.30 there are 4 left: Tamberi misses the first by little, the second by very little, then at the third he asks for silence and for a while he struggles to get it, since people do not expect it, but he misses clearly. There were two left and Korea's Woo, being in the lead, lets Jamaica's Beckford make three fouls at 2.33 and quits here. The other field event was the women's long jump, which, with no Italians, took place in general disinterest, except for a little at the final jump, when is the last field event left.

On the track, after women's 200, there are 110hs, with Simonelli who is clearly tarnished and remains in the group, finishing with a time, 13.34, which today makes our noses twitch, but last year would have been 1/100th from his personal best and 7 from the Italian record. This was followed by the 5000, where they started off strong, first km in 2'31‘, but after the third km it became a tactical race, where “tactical” means won in 12'51’. After the women's 400hs, with Cockrill at 52.59 and Folorunso sixth in 55.00, we come to the grand finale: women's 1500 and men's 100. In the first, Battocletti seen up close impresses with her thinness and the difference with her main rivals, who are better built, is very noticeable. There is a light pacer for the Italian record: Battocletti soon breaks away and also lags behind the record, but Vissa instead remains in the group and in the running for the record. Few (I think) realise this, until the announcer says so in the finale. In the end Vissa missed the record by 1/100 and Battocletti finished in 3:59.19, still the third best Italian performance ever. In the 100, Jacobs disappoints: never in the race, he gives in and closes in 10.20. Tebogo wins in 9.87.

On the way out, I see a huddle at the exit of the athletes and realise that there is someone signing autographs: I approach and discover that it is Fabbri, Even the few people there were enough to create a small traffic with cars. I don't know when the next appointment with athletics will be, certainly several months will pass.