There's No Place Like Rome | Diamond League Preview

The heavyweights of Australian athletics are set to make a powerful statement in Rome this week, with Paris Olympic medallists Nina Kennedy, Matt Denny and Jessica Hull headlining the Aussie charge at the penultimate Diamond League meet before the finals.

Australian viewers can tune in from 5am AEST on Sunday, 1 September on Stan Sport and can view full entry lists HERE.

3.30am AEST
Men’s Discus

It’s a rematch of the Olympic final as Australia’s own Matthew Denny (QLD, Dale Stevenson) takes on the might of global discus, including four more global medallists.

Though he claimed his maiden Olympic medal in style in Paris earlier this month, Denny was left wanting more, not quite satisfied with clinching bronze with a 69.31m performance – his second furthest throw of all time.

With hunger in his belly and a much needed recharge back home in Brisbane, the Allora product will be out again to build on his achievements, aiming to 70-metres for the first time. With five 70+-metre throwers in the field, including Jamaica’s Roje Stona who shocked the discus world with a 70.00m throw to win Olympic gold, Denny will no doubt feed off the energy in trying to achieve the feat.

4.37am AEST
Women’s Pole Vault

Not for some time have we been able to write that an Australian Olympic champion will lead the field at a Diamond League meet, but we now can, thanks to Nina Kennedy (Paul Burgess and James Fitzpatrick) headlining the Women’s Pole Vault in her first contest back on the circuit post Paris.

In scorching hot form in time for the Olympics, Kennedy vaulted to 4.90m – just one centimetre below her Australian record – to take the gold away from USA’s Katie Moon. While Moon won’t be amongst the field, the Western Australian will still have a target on her back, as Paris 2024 bronze medallist Alysha Newman aims up, along with global medallists Tina Sutej (SLO) and Sandi Morris (USA). With a season’s best of 4.88m, Swiss product Angelia Moser will also be gunning for the top spot.

6.04am AEST
Men’s 5000m

Narrowly missing a spot in the Olympic 5000m final by 0.05-seconds, Morgan McDonald (Dathan Ritzenhein) is back in action and determined to make an impact in Rome.

With a lifetime best of 13:00.48 achieved in May in California, the US-based distance runner can make amends for Paris but as the ninth seeded athlete, will face into a 16-strong field, made up of nine of Ethiopia and Kenya’s best athletes.

Featuring in the stacked field will be current Olympic silver and bronze medallists Ronald Kwemoi (KEN) and Grant Fisher (USA) which will make for a fast race.

6.37am AEST
Women’s 1500m

The moment that Jessica Hull (Simon Hull) claimed Australia’s first Olympic middle distance medal since 1968 is one that Aussie athletics fans will never forget. Crossing the finish line with her arms wide open, the Australian then put her hands to her face in disbelief and burst into a smile and then tears when realising her feat.

This week in Rome she will line up against Australia’s second fastest metric miler of all time, Linden Hall (Ned Brophy-Williams) as the pair toe the line with some of the very best of middle distance.

At 33-years-old Hall has been in career-best form this year, achieving a personal best mark of 3:56.40 less than a month before the Olympic Games, but came unstuck in Paris, having suffered a calf injury 10 days before her race. The first Australian to break the four-minute barrier is now back in good health and will be looking to come back from her disappointment at the Olympics in Rome as the fifth fastest athlete on paper.

While Hull fares as the second fastest runner in the field behind Kenyan great Faith Kipyegon (3:49.04), Ethiopians Birke Haylom (3:53.22) and Freweyni Hailu (3:55.48) will be coming for the Australian record holder in the tactical affair.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 28/8/2024