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The Wanda Diamond League touches down in Europe for the first time this year at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome this Thursday.
Here are five things to look out for at the Stadio Olimpico.
Lyles launches title defence
When Noah Lyles is in town, Noah Lyles is usually the star attraction, and this Thursday will be no different. The American made history at the Diamond League Final in Zurich last year when he became the first track athlete ever to win a sixth Diamond League title. Another Diamond Trophy this season would see him equal the overall record of seven held by Renaud Lavillenie and Christian Taylor, and few would bet against Lyles in either the 100m or the 200m. He kickstarts his campaign over the shorter distance in Rome, going up against the likes of Letsile Tebogo, Akani Simbine and Marcell Jacobs.
Alfred vs Jefferson-Wooden
Lyles is not the only sprint superstar to launch his campaign in Rome. The women’s 200m will also see a clash of the titans as world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden takes on 100m Olympic champion Julien Alfred. Jefferson-Wooden dominated the women’s sprints in a breakthrough season last year, claiming three Diamond League victories en route to her triple gold medal at the World Championships in Tokyo. Yet it is Alfred who has the better record overall in the Diamond League, having picked up six wins over the past two seasons and won the 100m series title in both 2024 and 2025.
Hodgkinson branches out
British 800m ace Keely Hodgkinson returned to the Diamond League stage with a bang last season, shrugging off injuries to land two impressive wins in Silesia and Lausanne. The 24-year-old is now setting her sights firmly on the 800m world record, but she begins her Diamond League season with a surprise move, switching disciplines to test her speed over one lap in the women’s 400m. Though Hodgkinson has run the 400m before, she has never done so at a Diamond League meeting, and she will face a ferocious test against the likes of Lieke Klaver, Natalia Bukowiecka, Henriette Jæger, Nickisha Pryce and Aaliyah Butler.
Home comforts for Battocletti
The Stadio Olimpico will always be a special place for Nadia Battocletti. In 2024, the Italian announced her arrival on the world stage when she won two gold medals in front of her home crowd at the European Championships in Rome. She has since won three more medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships and is now hoping to add a first Diamond League win to her list of accolades when she launches her season on home soil in the women’s 5000m this Thursday. With the home crowd behind her, the world number three will be favourite in a field that also includes Diamond League champion Fantaye Belayneh.
Adcock returns to Rome
One of the highlights of last year’s Golden Gala came in the men’s long jump, when Liam Adcock snatched a late victory from the hands of home favourite Mattia Furlani with a huge personal best of 8.34m in the final round. Adcock returns this year already in fine form, having jumped 8.26m at the Australian Championships in Sydney last month. He will, however, have his work cut out against the likes of Miltiadis Tentoglou and Tajay Gayle.
