# Golden Gala

Golden Gala is an annual track and field event normally held at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamond League. Following the 2013 death of Italian sprinting legend Pietro Mennea, the organizers added his name to the title of the meet.
The 2021 and 2023 events were temporarily relocated to Florence.

## History

Primo Nebiolo, the Italian president of IAAF since 1981, was the founder of the Golden Gala and had the idea to bring the athletes and the people from the United States and the NATO countries together after their boycott of the Moscow Olympics in 1980 as a result of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Nebiolo died of a heart attack at age 76 in 1999.
At the 2009 edition of the Golden Gala, Kenenisa Bekele, Kerron Stewart, Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva all remained on target for the 2009 Golden League jackpot. In the 100 m, Tyson Gay equalled his American record and Daniel Bailey set an Antiguan record in the men's race. Antonietta Di Martino brought the sole Italian victory in Rome by beating off favourite Blanka Vlašić in the high jump.

## Editions

In 1981 the IAAF World Cup was held in Rome, so no Golden Gala meeting was organized.
Golden Gala editions :
| Ed. | Meeting | Series | Date |
| 1st | 1980 Golden Gala | | 5 Aug 1980 |
| 2nd | 1982 Golden Gala | | 14 Sep 1982 |
| 4th | 1983 Golden Gala | | 1 Sep 1983 |
| 4th | 1984 Golden Gala | | 31 Aug 1984 |
| 5th | 1985 Golden Gala | 1985 IAAF Grand Prix | 9 Jul 1985 |
| 6th | 1986 Golden Gala | 1986 IAAF Grand Prix | 10 Sep 1986 |
| 7th | 1987 Golden Gala | 1987 IAAF Grand Prix | 22 Jul 1987 |
| 8th | 1988 Golden Gala | 1988 IAAF Grand Prix | 27 Jul 1988 |
| 9th | 1989 Golden Gala | 1989 IAAF Grand Prix | 19 Jul 1989 |
| 10th | 1990 Golden Gala | 1990 IAAF Grand Prix | 18 Jul 1990 |
| 11th | 1991 Golden Gala | 1991 IAAF Grand Prix | 17 Jul 1991 |
| 12th | 1992 Golden Gala | 1992 IAAF Grand Prix | 9 Jun 1992 |
| 13th | 1993 Golden Gala | 1993 IAAF Grand Prix | 9 Jun 1993 |
| 14th | 1994 Golden Gala | 1994 IAAF Grand Prix | 8 Jun 1994 |
| 15th | 1995 Golden Gala | 1995 IAAF Grand Prix | 8 Jun 1995 |
| 16th | 1996 Golden Gala | 1996 IAAF Grand Prix | 5 Jun 1996 |
| 17th | 1997 Golden Gala | 1997 IAAF Grand Prix | 5 Jun 1997 |
| 18th | 1998 Golden Gala | 1998 IAAF Golden League | 14 Jul 1998 |
| 19th | 1999 Golden Gala | 1999 IAAF Golden League | 7 Jul 1999 |
| 20th | 2000 Golden Gala | 2000 IAAF Golden League | 30 Jun 2000 |
| 21st | 2001 Golden Gala | 2001 IAAF Golden League | 29 Jun 2001 |
| 22nd | 2002 Golden Gala | 2002 IAAF Golden League | 12 Jul 2002 |
| 23rd | 2003 Golden Gala | 2003 IAAF Golden League | 11 Jul 2003 |
| 24th | 2004 Golden Gala | 2004 IAAF Golden League | 2 Jul 2004 |
| 25th | 2005 Golden Gala | 2005 IAAF Golden League | 8 Jul 2005 |
| 26th | 2006 Golden Gala | 2006 IAAF Golden League | 14 Jul 2006 |
| 27th | 2007 Golden Gala | 2007 IAAF Golden League | 13 Jul 2007 |
| 28th | 2008 Golden Gala | 2008 IAAF Golden League | 11 Jul 2008 |
| 29th | 2009 Golden Gala | 2009 IAAF Golden League | 10 Jul 2009 |
| 30th | 2010 Golden Gala | 2010 Diamond League | 10 Jun 2010 |
| 31st | 2011 Golden Gala | 2011 Diamond League | 26 May 2011 |
| 32nd | 2012 Golden Gala | 2012 Diamond League | 31 May 2012 |
| 33rd | 2013 Golden Gala | 2013 Diamond League | 6 Jun 2013 |
| 34th | 2014 Golden Gala | 2014 Diamond League | 5 Jun 2014 |
| 35th | 2015 Golden Gala | 2015 Diamond League | 4 Jun 2015 |
| 36th | 2016 Golden Gala | 2016 Diamond League | 2 Jun 2016 |
| 37th | 2017 Golden Gala | 2017 Diamond League | 8 Jun 2017 |
| 38th | 2018 Golden Gala | 2018 Diamond League | 31 May 2018 |
| 39th | 2019 Golden Gala | 2019 Diamond League | 6 Jun 2019 |
| 40th | 2020 Golden Gala | 2020 Diamond League | 17 Sep 2020 |
| 41st | 2021 Golden Gala | 2021 Diamond League | 10 Jun 2021 |
| 42nd | 2022 Golden Gala | 2022 Diamond League | 9 Jun 2022 |
| 43rd | 2023 Golden Gala | 2023 Diamond League | 2 Jun 2023 |
| 44th | 2024 Golden Gala | 2024 Diamond League | 30 Aug 2024 |

## World records

Over the course of its history, ten world records have been set at the Gala. The 1500 metres and Mile records by Hicham El Guerrouj still stand. In 2014 Joanne Pavey's 15:04.87 in the 5000 metres bettered the existing masters world record in the W40 division by almost 16 seconds.
World records set at the Golden Gala :
| Year | Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality |
| 1983 | Pole vault | 5.83 m | Thierry Vigneron | France |
| 1984 | Pole vault | 5.94 m | Sergey Bubka | Soviet Union |
| 1984 | Pole vault | 5.91 m | Thierry Vigneron | France |
| 1987 | 5000 m | 12:58.39 | Saïd Aouita | Morocco |
| 1995 | 5000 m | 12:55.30 | Moses Kiptanui | Kenya |
| 1998 | 1500 m | 3:26.00 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco |
| 1999 | Mile | 3:43.13 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco |
| 2000 | Javelin throw | 68.22 m | Trine Hattestad | Norway |
| 2008 | Pole vault | 5.03 m | Yelena Isinbayeva | Russia |
| 2023 | 1500 m | 3:49.11 | Faith Kipyegon | Kenya |

## Meeting records
### Men

Men's meeting records of the Golden Gala :
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Meet |
| 100 m | 9.75 (+0.9 m/s) | Justin Gatlin | United States | 4 June 2015 | 2015 |
| 200 m | 19.70 (+0.7 m/s) | Michael Norman | United States | 6 June 2019 | 2019 |
| 400 m | 43.62 | Jeremy Wariner | United States | 14 July 2006 | 2006 |
| 800 m | 1:42.79 | Wilson Kipketer | Denmark | 7 July 1999 | 1999 |
| 1500 m | 3:26.00 WR | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | 14 July 1998 | 1998 |
| Mile | 3:43.13 WR | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | 7 July 1999 | 1999 |
| 2000 m | 4:54.02 | Vénuste Niyongabo | Burundi | 8 June 1995 | 1995 |
| 3000 m | 7:26.64 | Jacob Kiplimo | Uganda | 17 September 2020 | 2020 |
| 5000 m | 12:46.33 | Nicholas Kimeli | Kenya | 9 June 2022 | 2022 |
| 110 m hurdles | 13.01 (+0.8 m/s) | Allen Johnson | United States | 7 July 1999 | 1999 |
| 110 m hurdles | 13.01 (−0.1 m/s) | Omar McLeod | Jamaica | 10 June 2021 | 2021 |
| 400 m hurdles | 47.07 | Karsten Warholm | Norway | 17 September 2020 | 2020 |
| 3000 m steeplechase | 7:54.31 | Paul Kipsiele Koech | Kenya | 31 May 2012 | 2012 |
| High jump | 2.41 m | Mutaz Essa Barshim | Qatar | 5 June 2014 | 2014 |
| Pole vault | 6.15 m | Armand Duplantis | Sweden | 17 September 2020 | 2020 |
| Long jump | 8.61 m (±0.0 m/s) | Dwight Phillips | United States | 10 July 2009 | 2009 |
| Triple jump | 17.96 m (−0.4 m/s) | Pedro Pichardo | Cuba | 4 June 2015 | 2015 |
| Shot put | 22.49 m | Ryan Crouser | United States | 30 August 2024 | 2024 |
| Discus throw | 70.72 m | Kristjan Ceh | Slovenia | 9 June 2022 | 2022 |
| Hammer throw | 84.88 m | Sergey Litvinov | Soviet Union | 10 September 1986 | 1986 |
| Javelin throw | 90.34 m | Andreas Thorkildsen | Norway | 14 July 2006 | 2006 |
| 4 × 100 m relay | 38.31 | Santa Monica Track Club Michael Marsh Leroy Burrell Floyd Heard Carl Lewis | United States | 8 June 1994 | 1994 |
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.76 DLR | Nigel Levine Conrad Williams Chris Clarke Jack Green | Great Britain | 31 May 2012 | 2012 |

### Women

Women's meeting records of the Golden Gala :
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Meet |
| 100 m | 10.75 (+0.6 m/s) | Marion Jones | United States | 14 July 1998 | 1998 |
| 100 m | 10.75 (+0.4 m/s) | Kerron Stewart | Jamaica | 10 July 2009 | 2009 |
| 200 m | 21.91 (+1.3 m/s) | Shericka Jackson | Jamaica | 9 June 2022 | 2022 |
| 400 m | 49.17 | Marita Koch | East Germany | 10 September 1986 | 1986 |
| 800 m | 1:55.69 | Pamela Jelimo | Kenya | 11 July 2008 | 2008 |
| 1500 m | 3:49.11 | Faith Kipyegon | Kenya | 2 June 2023 | 2023 |
| Mile | 4:21.38 | Paula Ivan | Romania | 19 July 1989 | 1989 |
| 3000 m | 8:23.96 | Olga Yegorova | Russia | 29 June 2001 | 2001 |
| 5000 m | 14:12.59 | Almaz Ayana | Ethiopia | 2 June 2016 | 2016 |
| 100 m hurdles | 12.24 (−0.4 m/s) | Ackera Nugent | Jamaica | 30 August 2024 | 2024 |
| 400 m hurdles | 52.43 | Femke Bol | Netherlands | 2 June 2023 | 2023 |
| 3000 m steeplechase | 8:44.39 | Winfred Yavi | Bahrain | 30 August 2024 | 2024 |
| High jump | 2.03 m | Yelena Slesarenko | Russia | 2 July 2004 | 2004 |
| High jump | 2.03 m | Hestrie Cloete | South Africa | 2 July 2004 | 2004 |
| High jump | 2.03 m | Blanka Vlašić | Croatia | 10 June 2010 | 2010 |
| High jump | 2.03 m | Chaunté Howard-Lowe | United States | 10 June 2010 | 2010 |
| Pole vault | 5.03 m | Yelena Isinbayeva | Russia | 13 July 2007 | 2007 |
| Long jump | 7.23 m (−0.3 m/s) | Marion Jones | United States | 14 July 1998 | 1998 |
| Triple jump | 15.29 m (+0.3 m/s) | Yamilé Aldama | Cuba | 11 July 2003 | 2003 |
| Shot put | 21.03 m DLR | Valerie Adams | New Zealand | 31 May 2012 | 2012 |
| Discus throw | 68.93 m | Sandra Perković | Croatia | 31 May 2018 | 2018 |
| Javelin throw | 68.66 m | Barbora Špotáková | Czech Republic | 10 June 2010 | 2010 |
| 4 × 100 m relay | 43.64 | Nataliya Strohova Yelizaveta Bryzgina Olesya Povh Natalia Pohrebniak | Ukraine | 2 June 2016 | 2016 |