Newly crowned world indoor champion Mattia Furlani will face Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou in the men's long jump at the fifth Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season in Rome on June 6.
Tentoglou has been the man to beat in the men's long jump in recent years, winning the Diamond Trophy in 2022, the world outdoor title in 2023 and two Olympic gold medals in 2021 and 2024.
Yet 20-year-old Furlani is the man of the moment, having secured gold at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing earlier this month with an impressive jump of 8.30m.
Furlani has faced Tentoglou on two occasions before, winning bronze behind the Greek star at the Olympic final and silver at the European Championships in Rome last summer.
Born just outside the Italian capital, the young long jump star will be hoping to make a splash when he returns to his home city for the Pietro Mennea Golden Gala in June
He is not the only local star who will have the home crowd behind them in Rome, as Italian distance ace Nadia Batocletti goes up against double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet in the women's 5000m.
Kenya's Chebet conquered the world in 2024, claiming a second career Diamond Trophy in the 5000m, breaking the world record in the 10,000m and claiming Olympic gold over both distances in Paris
Batocletti is the European champion over both distances and won silver behind Chebet at the Olympics. Like Furlani, she will be eyeing a first ever Diamond League win when she takes to the track in Rome later this year.
The Wanda Diamond League is the elite one-day meeting series in global athletics. It comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field. Athletes compete for points at the 14 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day Wanda Diamond League Final, which will be held in Zurich on 27 and 28 August 2025.
