2019 Golden Gala

2019 Golden Gala
Dates	6 June 2019
Host city	Rome, Italy
Venue	Stadio Olimpico
Level	2019 IAAF Diamond League
Events	27 (14 Diamond League)
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The 2019 Golden Gala was the 39th edition of the annual outdoor track and field meeting in Rome, Italy. Held on 6 June at the Stadio Olimpico, it was the fourth leg of the 2019 IAAF Diamond League – the highest level international track and field circuit.^[1] 27 events total were contested with 14 of them being point-scoring Diamond League disciplines.

A total of seven world leads and two meeting records were set at the competition. In the men's sprints, 400 metres world leader Michael Norman won in a meeting record and world leading time of 19.72 seconds in the 200 metres race, narrowly holding onto a shrinking lead ahead of reigning Diamond League champion Noah Lyles who placed second in a seasonal debut of 19.72 seconds. Norman's time was a personal best and broke Lyles' winning streak that went back to the 2016 US Olympic Trials.^[2]

In the men's distance events, Donavan Brazier passed Nijel Amos less than a meter before the finish line in the 800 metres race, winning in a world leading 1:43.63 ahead of Amos' 1:43.65. Benjamin Kigen won a close race with Getnet Wale in the 3000 metres steeplechase, setting a personal best and world leading time of 8:06.13 ahead of Wale's 8:06.83, also a personal best. In a fast 5000 metres race in which six competitors finished in less than 12:59 and 18 personal or seasonal bests were achieved, Telahun Haile Bekele narrowly defeated reigning Diamond League champion Selemon Barega in a personal best and world leading 12:52.98. Barega finished second in a seasonal best of 12:53.04.

The shot put meeting record was broken by Konrad Bukowiecki with a personal best mark of 21.97 metres, and the world leading mark in the high jump of 2.31 metres was matched by Bohdan Bondarenko.

On the women's side, a Swedish record was set in the pole vault by Angelica Bengtsson with a mark of 4.76 metres, defeating indoor world champion Sandi Morris who placed second jointly with Robeilys Peinado (4.66 metres).^[3] The 2016 Olympic champion over 100 metres and 200 metres, Elaine Thompson, came back from a slower start in the 100 metres race to defeat Dina Asher-Smith in the fastest time in the world since 2017, 10.89 seconds.^[2] Asher-Smith, who had defeated Thompson in the Stockholm Diamond League over 200 metres earlier that year, took second with a seasonal debut of 10.94 seconds.^[3]

In the 1500 metres, Genzebe Dibaba ran her fastest time since setting the world record in 2015, narrowly holding off Laura Muir with a world leading 3:56.28. Muir herself ran the second fastest time in her career, 3:56.73, only behind her British record to place second.^[3] Malaika Mihambo defeated Olympic champion jumpers Brittney Reese and Caterine Ibargüen in the long jump with a personal best and world leading 7.07 metres, her first mark seven metres or more.^[4]