Six take-aways from the Golden Gala (Golden Gala Roma 2025)

While everyone can applaud good performances, it certainly adds to the occasion if the whole nation does well. (See separate post on 5 Italian podium places).

2 Hooray for Golden Oldies

I was pleased to see Sandi Morris and Trayvon Bromell winning.  Bromell won the 100m in a world leading time of  9.84 beating Ferdinand Omanyala and Fred Kerley and a few others. Now 29, I remember seeing him win the 60m in the World Indoors in Portland 2016.  He has had his injury problems but it would be great to see what he can do if he has a full season fit and well.

Sandi Morris is now 32 but a multiple medal-winner in the past and 4.80 is a pretty good height so early in the season. And Sandi is the only athlete I know who will as happily talk about her snakes and monitor lizards as pole-vaulting!

Bromell certainly understood the significance of the win: “I am glad how I executed the race, it was a great feeling. I have been away for a while now. To be able to compete on a high level. I was definitely nervous, I did not know what to expect. You know I ran 9.91 and everybody had these speculations. But I just needed to be the person I am and I do not expect anything but fast times and execution. I really did not feel where the competition went. My biggest thing is that I never count on anybody else. To be honest, 2021, that was me nobody was going to beat me, I was the fastest guy. But I am never going to have that attitude in the race again because you never know how somebody is feeling that day. So my big thing is to execute. 2021 taught me a lot”.  It is good to have him back.

I found Sandi’s comments equally fascinating, not getting carried away, using her experience, remembering the game plan…” Today is monumental for me on a personal level. This is my first Diamond League win since 2022….