Rome: Five things to look out for

If there is one thing more entertaining Gianmarco Tamberi compete in the high jump, then it's watching Gianmarco Tamberi compete in the high jump in front of his home crowd. The Italian star will be the star attraction at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday as he continues his quest for redemption after an untimely bout of kidney stones scuppered his Olympic title defence in Paris. Ever the fighter, Tamberi overcame his bitter disappointment and bounced back emphatically with an impressive Wanda Diamond League win in Silesia last Sunday. Currently languishing in eighth place in the standings, he still needs points if he is to book his place in the series final. But with the home crowd behind him, the Italian will be confident he can deliver another winning performance on Friday.

Just over a year ago, Faith Kipyegon set a new 1500m world recordwith 3:49.11 at the Golden Gala in Florence. It was the start of a rollercoaster two seasons for the Kenyan distance star, who went on to break two more world records and claim the world and Wanda Diamond League titles in 2023 before claiming her third successive Olympic gold this summer. In July, she improved her 1500m world record to 3:49.05 at the Paris Diamond League, and as she returns to WDL action in Rome, she knows she needs another big performance. Like Tamberi, Kipyegon is surprisingly low down the rankings in her discipline, having made only one appearance on the circuit so far this season. Like Tamberi, she will also be confident she can trim the gap and close in on qualification in Rome. 

"My life has changed," declared Letsile Tebogo in Lausanne last week, as he looked back on a rollercoaster summer which saw him overcome family bereavement to be crowned Botswana's first ever Olympic champion in the men's 200m. He will have been pinching himself again this week when, taking advantage of his trip to Rome, he visited the Vatican City to present his gold medal to Pope Francis. Not that Tebogo necessarily needs any help from on high: he is in scintillating form anyway, having rampaged to back-to-back victories in Lausanne and Silesia upon his return to Diamond League action. 

While Tebogo has been tearing it up for the last week, some of his fellow Olympic champions are looking forward to their first post-Paris appearances when they compete in Rome this Friday. Women's long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall will be eyeing her first ever Diamond League win when she goes up against fellow medallist Jasmine Moore, while Jamaica's Roje Stona is in the same boat in the men's discus. Having somewhat surprisingly won gold in Paris, Stona will be out to prove his status as the best in the world when he takes on world record holder and silver medallist Mykolas Alekna at the Stadio Olimpico.

Despite Stona's heroics in the field, it was a disappointing Olympics for Team Jamaica as they struggled to pick up medals in their traditional strengths on the track. Yet barely a few weeks after Paris, the signs of a new generation of Jamaican sprint and hurdles stars are already beginning to show in the Wanda Diamond League. In Silesia last Sunday, 20-year-old Tia Clayton raced to victory in the women's 100m, while 22-year-old Ackera Nugent smashed the meeting record in the 100m hurdles. Nugent is back in action in Rome, hoping to take another step towards the final against heavyweights such as Devynne Charlton and Cyrena Samba-Mayela.