World U18 Athletics Championships in Brixen (2009)

Clicca qui per la versione italiana The green, in the green, Brixen track hosted the Italian athletics championships. When I saw her, I remembered the 2009 World Youth (later renamed U18) Championships, which took place on that same track.

I arrived in Bressanone on Friday, the third day of competitions. In the first two we had won a surprise medal with Galbieri in 100 dash. There had also been, among other things, walking, octathlon (which at the time replaced decathlon) and qualifications of the men's high jump, where a Italian, named Gianmarco Tamberi, had been eliminated. I was staying in a hotel in Bozen, near the station, and I went to Brixen by train: from the station the stadium can be reached on foot, although not very close.

The stadium is in a green area and from the stands you could see a splendid alpine panorama. There was only one stand, which was quite full, but not so much that there was no seats left. Just outside the fence there was a meadow, where both families with children and athletes themselves played: I saw Italian throwers make piggyback rides with each other (it was where this year they put the outside throwing platform).

The Italian athletes who were considered medal candidates in forecasts were three. The first to compete was shot putter Secci, who barely entered the final, with 18.56 (I think), a good meter below his PB, at the last throw, I think as 11th. I then heard him comment with a competitor how he narrowly hedged it: among the competitors there was also that Austrian with a complicated name that today competes in Diamond League in discus. In the final the measure set in qualification would have been enough to enter in the top 8, but he did even worse.

Then there was Trost, who was the favourite and won, always confident, as she is no longer today, with 1.89 and then missed 1.91 which, in addition to being the Italian category record, would also have been the B standard for the senior World Championships. So I didn't pay attention to who came second, but today I know that her name was Mariya Kuchina.

The third top athlete was Bencosme De Leon, who had recently become Italian. He was impressive in heats, so much so that we dreamed gold, then came third. Another Italian, Veroli (who was also a protagonist this year) came 5th, and that was the only placement of an Italian in the top 8, apart from the medals. Strange WCH!

Among foreigners, the one who most impressed me was Kirani James, with his 45.24 in 400. Then he would also win the 200. I also remember the splendid Katherine Johnson-Thompson dominating heptathlon. I also remember the qualifications of the men's triple jump, with the drama of the Cuban Revé, great favourite with his PB of 6.56 (the qualification was at 15.10), who got injured in the run-up of the first attempt, then he tried to recover for the third, but he couldn't. In that race an Italian got to the final, one with a Greek name, considered the less strong before.

I saw everything I told you in two days, Friday and Saturday. I should also have seen the last day, Sunday, but a train strike blocked me in Bozen. So I found myself going around in the South Tyrolean capital with an Italian flag sticking out of my backpack. When an old man complimented me, I realized that its meaning could be misunderstood and that someone could see it as a provocation ...

Mondial allievi di atletica a Bressanone (2009)

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La pista verde e nel verde di Bressanone ha ospitato i campionati italiani di atletica. Nel vederla mi sono tornati in mente i Mondiali allievi del 2009, svoltisi su quella stessa pista.

Arrivai a Bressanone il venerdì, terzo giorno di gare. Nelle prime due avevamo vinto una medaglia sorpresa con Galbieri nei 100. C'erano state anche, tra l'altro, la marcia, l'octathlon (che all'epoca sostituiva il decathlon) e le qualificazioni dell'alto maschile, dove un'italiano era stato eliminato, tale Gianmarco Tamberi. Stavo in un albergo a Bolzano, vicino alla stazione, e andavo a Bressanone in treno: dalla stazione lo stadio è raggiungibile a piedi, anche se non vicinissimo.

Lo stadio è nel verde e dalla tribuna si vedeva uno splendido panorama alpino. C'era un'unica tribuna, che era abbastanza piena, ma non tanto da non trovare posto. Appena fuori dal recinto c'era un prato, dove giocavano sia le famiglie con bambini, sia gli stessi atleti: ho visto lanciatrici italiane fare cavalluccio l'una con l'altra (era dove quest'anno hanno messo la pedana esterna).

Gli atleti italiani considerati da medaglia alla vigilia erano tre. Il primo in gara era il pesista Secci, che entrò in finale a stento, con 18,56 (mi sembra), un buon metro sotto il personale, all'ultimo lancio, credo come 11°. Lo sentii poi commentare con un avversario lo scampato pericolo: tra gli avversari c'era anche quell'austriaco col nome complicato che oggi gareggia in Diamond League nel disco. In finale la misura delle qualificazioni sarebbe bastata a entrare negli 8, ma lui fece ancora peggio.

C'era poi la Trost, che era la favorita e vinse, sempre sicura, come oggi non è più, con 1,89 e poi fallì l'1,91 che, oltre che record italiano di categoria, sarebbe stato anche il minimo B per i mondiali senior. Allora non feci caso alla seconda classificata, ma oggi so bene che si chiamava Mariya Kuchina.

Il terzo atleta di punta era Bencosme De Leon, diventato italiano da poco. Fu impressionante in batteria, tanto da far sognare l'oro, poi arrivò terzo. Un altro italiano, Veroli (tra l'altro anche lui protagonista quest'anno) arrivo 5°, e quello fu l'unico piazzamento di un italiano negli 8, oltre alle medaglie. Strani Mondiali!

Tra gli stranieri, quello che impressionò di più era Kirani James, col suo 45.24 nei 400. Poi avrebbe vinto anche i 200. Ricordo anche la splendida Katherine Johnson-Thompson dominare l'eptathlon. Ricordo anche le qualificazioni del triplo maschile, col dramma del cubano Revé, grande favorito col suo 16,56 di personale (la qualificazione era a 15,10), che si infortunò nella rincorsa del primo tentativo, poi provò a ripresentarsi al terzo, ma non ce la fece. In quella gara un italiano andò in finale, uno col nome greco, considerato il meno forte alla vigilia.

Tutto quello che ho raccontato l'ho visto in due giornate, venerdì e sabato. Avrei dovuto assistere anche all'ultima giornata, domenica, ma uno sciopero dei treni mi bloccò a Bolzano. Mi ritrovai quindi a girare per il capoluogo altoatesino con una bandiera italiana che spuntava dallo zaino. Quando un vecchietto mi fece i complimenti, capii che il suo significato poteva essere equivocato e che qualcuno avrebbe potuto vederla come una provocazione...

World Swimming Championships in Rome (2009) - part 1

Clicca qui per l'edizione italiana Click here for part 2 The World Swimming Championships are in progress, and 10 years have passed since the Rome edition, the only one I have watched live. The World Championships had already been in Rome in 1994, but at the time I wasn't living there yet, and I wasn't a big enough swimming fan to move. At that time I made another, shorter, sport trip. The 2009 World Championships should also have taken place in Tor Vergata, very close to where I worked at that time, then it was all cancelled and went back to the old Foro Italico venue: in Tor Vergata you can still see the unfinished buildings.

The feeling that I had just after I entered the Swimming Stadium on the first day, or even when I was still approaching, was the one that inspired the title of this blog: that the common spectator, the one who pays for the tickets (and I had spent more than 800 euros), was seen with annoyance. The first few days the works in the entrance area had not yet been completed, and to enter one had to pass through a cordoned area on the street. A wide space was given instead to the VIP areas.

Then there were those who unduly occupied space, and they were the real negative protagonists of the event: the volunteers. In huge numbers, you always found them camping at bars and kiosks, occupying all the tables, or perhaps in the stands (the first week, when there were more free places), where they even complained if you obstructed their view with your flag: almost never working. I also met a stewardess who believed she was at the football Champions' League final: the stands were not more than 5% full, but still she showed my place and told me "if you find it occupied, tell me and we'll free it"

Back to the sport event, the first week, as always, was dedicated to water polo, diving, synchronized swimming and open water swimming. I saw a couple of water polo games, one men's and one women's. I don't remember the teams, I just remember that in one there was Holland. For me they were a novelty: I found them pleasant, so much so that I made the purpose myself to go and see some matches in the next season, which I didn't do. I was particularly struck by the size of the players, which you didn't notice on TV.

I did not see synchronized swimming, but I met some sync swimmers: I remember having a group of Canadian ones next to me. I found also them more robust than they seem on TV. I had planned to watch open water swimming one morning (I think the 25 km race), but I gave up because I didn't feel well.

I saw several diving events, and I certainly didn't regret it. The most exciting was the men's platform, with the challenge between Daley of Britain, the two Chinese and an Australian, won by the first after several lead changes. I could also watch Cagnotto's two medals: silver in the synchro springboard with Dallapé and bronze in the individual springboard. The synchro race was preceded by a qualification made to eliminate just one pair, with Macao acting as a designated victim, presenting a program much easier than the others.

 The Chinese were true Martians in synchro, more human in the individual, although there was Gao's one-woman race in springboard: truly impressive. I was also thinking of the sad life of Chinese judges (in Rome there was a lady) who would never judge a final, since a final without Chinese was unthinkable (at the time the springboard finals were 6-people, so one could imagine a final without Americans, Australians or other big countries, but not without Chinese). The downside of diving was the attendance, too biassed, not only pro-Italy, but also anti-China: they never accepted a jury vote.

Towards the end of the first week, I saw a crowd surrounding a man with a sweatshirt, hood and headphones, under which there was not much to see: it was Phelps! A sign that pool swimming was about to begin, but we'll talk about it next time.

Mondiali di nuoto a Roma (2009) - 1^ parte

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Clicca qui per la 2^ parte

Sono in corso i Mondiali di nuoto, e sono passati 10 anni dall'edizione di Roma, l'unica a cui abbia assistito dal vivo. I Mondiali erano già stati a Roma nel 1994, ma allora non ci vivevo ancora, e non ero abbastanza appassionato di nuoto per spostarmi. In quel periodo feci un altro viaggio sportivo, più breve. I Mondiali 2009 avrebbero anche dovuto svolgersi a Tor Vergata, molto vicino a dove allora lavoravo, poi saltò tutto e si tornò alla vecchia sede del Foro Italico: a Tor Vergata si vedono ancora i palazzi incompiuti.

La sensazione che ebbi appena entrato allo Stadio del Nuoto il primo giorno, o meglio già nell'avvicinarmi, fu quella che ha ispirato il titolo di questo blog: che lo spettatore comune, quello che paga il biglietto (ed io avevo speso più di 800 euro), fosse visto con fastidio. I primi giorni i lavori nella zona ingressi non erano ancora terminati, e per entrare si doveva passare da una zona transennata sulla strada. Ampio spazio era dato invece alle zone VIP.

C'era poi chi lo spazio l'occupava abusivamente, ed erano i veri protagonisti negativi della manifestazione: i volontari. In numero enorme, li trovavi sempre a bivaccare ai ristori, occupando tutti i tavolini, o magari sugli spalti (la prima settimana, quando c'erano più posti liberi), dove magari si lamentavano anche se gli coprivi la visuale con la bandiera: quasi mai a lavorare. Ho anche incontrato una hostess che credeva di essere alla finale di Champions League: le tribune saranno state piene per non più del 5%, eppure mi aveva indicato il mio posto dicendo anche "se lo trova occupato, lo dica e lo facciamo sgomberare"

Tornando all'evento sportivo, la prima settimana, come sempre era dedicata a pallanuoto, tuffi, nuoto sincronizzato e nuoto di fondo. Vidi un paio di partite di pallanuoto, una maschile ed una femminile.


Non mi ricordo le squadre, ricordo solo che in una c'era l'Olanda. Per me erano una novità: le trovai piacevoli, tanto che mi ripromisi di andare a vedere qualche partita del campionato successivo, cosa che non feci. Mi colpì soprattutto la stazza dei giocatori, che non si nota in TV.

Non vidi invece il nuoto sincronizzato, ma incontrai qualche sincronette: ricordo di aver avuto accanto un gruppo di canadesi. Anche loro trovai più robuste di quanto non sembrino in TV. Avevo in programma di andare a vedere il fondo una mattina (credo le 25 km), ma rinunciai perché non mi sentivo bene.

Vidi parecchie gare di tuffi, e non me ne pentii di certo. La più appassionante fu la piattaforma maschile, con la sfida tra il britannico Daley, i due cinesi e un australiano, vinta dal primo dopo parecchi sorpassi. Potei assistere anche alle due medaglie della Cagnotto: l'argento nel trampolino sincro con la Dallapé e il bronzo nel trampolino individuale. La gara del sincro fu preceduta da una qualificazione fatta per eliminare una sola coppia, con Macao che fece da vittima designata, presentandosi con un programma molto più facile delle altre.

 I cinesi erano dei veri marziani nel sincro, più umani nell'individuale, anche se ci fu la cavalcata solitaria della Gao dal trampolino, veramente impressionante. Pensavo anche alla triste vita dei giudici cinesi (a Roma c'era una signora) che non giudicavano mai una finale, visto che era impensabile una finale senza cinesi (all'epoca le finali dal trampolino erano a 6, per cui si poteva immaginare una finale senza americani, australiani o altri big, ma senza cinesi no). Il lato negativo dei tuffi era il pubblico, troppo fazioso, non solo pro-Italia, ma anche anti-Cina: mai che accettassero un voto della giuria.

Verso la fine della prima settimana, vide una folla circondare un uomo con felpa, cappuccio e cuffie, sotto cui non si vedeva molto: era Phelps! Segno che stava per cominciare il nuoto in vasca, ma di questo parleremo la prossima volta.

Fonte: Nuoto uno stile di vita

Swimming Seven Hills Trophy (23-06-2019)

Clicca qui per la versione italiana I arrive around 6.30 pm: this time it seems to be no problem for parking, but I have no trust and still leave the car at the first available place, behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at 900 meters from the entrance of the venue: for at least the first 500 you don't see anyone, so I can be sure that this time there are no concerts at the Olympic Stadium. After seeing the stands in the other two days, I was also afraid to find a queue at the ticket office, instead I immediately enter. I choose the Tribuna Tevere, because it is the closest.

I enter a little after 6.45 pm, which according to the program on the site should be the start time. It is hard to find a place, also because many are also occupied for absent people. I find one perfectly in line with the finish: I have never been in such a good position, I can understand the placings very well. Of course, on the other hand I can't see very well when they arrive at the other side of the pool and, given that time can only be seen on the board, which is on the opposite side, either you look at the finish line or look at time.

When I arrive, a final B is in progress, so I think it is still the preliminary program: the first final A will be around 7 pm. For the 200 backstroke I will notice for the first time that the handle for the backstroke start is added to the blocks, it is no longer part of them (yet I had swum in the London Olympic pool ...). Except for a bit in the 50 meter races, swimmers always give the impression of not forcing, but then I imagine myself next to them. In the B finals there are some big Italians, like Bianchi and Rivolta.

At about 7 pm, the finals A begin: there is a strange Italy-Hungary match in women's200 butterfly, with 4 Hungarians arriving before 4 Italians. We take our revenge in 200 backstroke, with the first Italian star, Panziera, who beats Hoszu. In backstroke you can hear the sound of strokes, much more than in the other styles. There is a group that always scream after the starting signal. The public seems on average more competent than in athletics: I hear also many accents, there are many people coming from outside.

After 4 finals A, the B finals resume, and from then on one A final and one B will alternate. In the 200 mixed men the two races will be almost at the same level: Ceccon wins the final B going below 2 minutes, with the Italian junior record , a time with which he would have come second in the A. Many Italians unknown to me  (for my ignorance, of course) do well, like Ciampi, who ties for first in the 200 freestyle, and Fangio, second in women's 200 breaststroke.

At a certain point I notice that from my position we can also see part of the call room, with the swimmers who finish to dress up. Some say they saw Pellegrini. Fede competes just before 8pm: I don't think I've ever seen her so closely, she looks more stringy than on TV. Incredibly, she is already in the lead in the first length, but this time she does not change pace in the third one. She still holds on until the end, and wins with a time that when she started it would have been a world record by over a second, and today is the fifth time of the year. After her race, the grandstand is emptied out quite a bit: then someone will come back, but most won't.

Around 8.30 pm, with a little delay, there is the other highlight competition: the men's 1500. Paltrinieri is third after the first 100, and I think the others have started too fast and he will catch them, then he makes a couple of 100 over one minute, and I think they are an exception, then the 100 over one minute become the rule and he loses contact, until it finds himself sixth. Then he closes fourth, while the other Italian Acerenza rallies until second aplace nd towards the 1200 gives the impression of being able to catch the first, then closes third. A Brazilian wins just under 15 ', with Paltrinieri at 15'11 ".

At the end they show a general ranking of the performances, based on a score table, and announce that there will be a victory ceremonyg for this ranking too: Pellegrini is 6 ^, Panziera 8 ^. I think it would be a good idea for athletics too. Once the competitions are over, some victory ceremonies remain: I stop until Pellegrini's, then I go.

Trofeo Sette Colli di nuoto (23-06-2019)

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Arrivo intorno alle 18,30: stavolta per i parcheggi sembra non ci siano problemi, ma non mi fido e lascio comunque la macchina al primo posto disponibile, dietro la Farnesina, a 900 metri all'ingresso dell'impianto: per almeno i primi 500 non si vede anima viva, e posso quindi essere sicuro che stavolta non ci sono concerti all'Olimpico. Visti gli spalti pieni i giorni scorsi, temevo anche di trovare coda alla biglietteria, invece si entra subito. Scelgo la Tribuna Tevere, perché è la più vicina.

Entro poco dopo le 18,45, che in base al programma sul sito dovrebbe essere l'orario d'inizio. Si fatica a trovare un posto, anche perché molti vengono occupati anche per gli assenti. Ne trovo uno perfettamente in linea con l'arrivo: non sono mai stato in una posizione così buona, posso capire benissimo i piazzamenti. Certo, in compenso non si vede molto bene quando arrivano in fondo alla vasca e, visto che il tempo si vede solo sul tabellone, che è dal lato opposto, o si guarda l'arrivo o si guarda il tempo.

Quando arrivo è in corso una finale B, per cui penso che sia ancora il programma preliminare: la prima finale A sarà intorno alle 19. Ai 200 dorso mi accorgo per la prima volta che la maniglia per la partenza del dorso viene aggiunta ai blocchi, non è più incorporata (eppure avevo nuotato nella piscina olimpica dl Londra…). Tranne un po' nei 50, i nuotatori danno sempre l'impressione di non forzare, poi però mi immagino io accanto a loro. Nelle finali B ci sono alcuni big italiani, come Bianchi e Rivolta.

Verso le 19 cominciano le finali A: c'è una strana sfida Italia-Ungheria nei 200 farfalla donne, con 4 ungheresi che arrivano davanti a 4 italiane. Ci prendiamo la rivincita nei 200 dorso, con la prima stella italiana, la Panziera, che batte la Hoszu. Nel dorso si sente il rumore delle bracciate, molto più che negli altri stili. C'è un gruppo che lancia sempre un urlo dopo il segnale di partenza. Il pubblico sembra in media più competente che nell'atletica: si sentono anche tanti accenti, c'è tanta gente che viene da fuori.

Dopo 4 finali A, riprendono le finali B, e da allora si alternerà una finale A e una B. Nei 200 misti uomini le due gare saranno quasi allo stesso livello: Ceccon vince la finale B scendendo sotto i 2 minuti, col record italiano juniores, un tempo con cui sarebbe arrivato secondo nella A. Si comportano bene anche tanti italiani a me sconosciuti (per mia ignoranza, naturalmente), come Ciampi, che vince i 200 sl a pari merito, e la Fangio, seconda nei 200 rana.

A un certo punto noto che dalla mia posizione si vede anche parte della camera di chiamata, con le nuotatrici che finiscono di vestirsi. Qualcuno dice di aver visto la Pellegrini. Fede è in gara poco prima delle 20: credo di non averla mai vista così da vicino, sembra più filiforme che in TV. Incredibilmente è in testa già alla prima vasca, ma stavolta non cambia passo nella terza. Tiene comunque fino alla fine, e vince con un tempo che quando ha cominciato sarebbe stato record mondiale di oltre un secondo, e oggi è il quinto tempo dell'anno. Dopo la sua gara, la tribuna si svuota un bel po': qualcuno poi rientrerà, ma la maggior parte no.

Verso le 20,30, con un po' di ritardo, c'è l'altra gara clou: i 1500 maschili. Paltrinieri dopo i primi 100 è terzo, e penso che sono gli altri ad essere partiti troppo forte e li prenderà, poi fa un paio di 100 sopra il minuto, e penso che siano un'eccezione, poi i 100 sopra il minuto diventano la regola e rimane staccato, fino a ritrovarsi sesto. Chiuderà poi quarto, mentre l'altro italiano Acerenza recupera fino al secondo e verso i 1200 dà l'impressione di poter prendere il primo, poi chiude terzo. Vince un brasiliano poco sotto i 15', con Paltrinieri a 15'11".

Alla fine mostrano una classifica generale delle prestazioni, in base a una tabella di punteggio, e annunciano che ci sarà una premiazione anche per questa classifica: la Pellegrini è 6^, la Panziera 8^. Penso che sarebbe una buona idea anche per l'atletica. Finite le gare rimangono alcune premiazioni: mi fermo fino a quella della Pellegrini, poi vado.

Athletics Golden Gala (06-06-2019)

Clicca qui per la versione italiana 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.