Jenny Simpson on her way to winning the Pre Classic 1500m on May 30. 

The Golden Gala in Rome will mark the first Diamond League race in Europe after the Pre Classic in Eugene, Oregon. This year the Rome Olympic Stadium will play host to 18 Olympic medalists and 27 World Championship medalists, including Olympic Champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sally Pearson, Dawn Harper-Nelson, Renaud Lavillenie, and World Champions Mohammed Aman and Jenny Simpson. 

 

Fraser-Pryce will headline the women’s 200m after crushing the 100m in Eugene last weekend with a new world leading mark of 10.81. The two time Olympic Champion heads into the Rome meeting with a 22.37 200m season’s best from the Jamaican Invitational in Kingston where she finished third to Shaunae Miller and Tori Bowie. At this point in the season, Fraser-Pryce is returning to true form. 

 

Fellow world leader Justin Gatlin will make his way to Italy for the 100m showdown after winning the 200m in Eugene in a world leading mark of 19.68, which was also a personal best. The Olympic medalist also holds the world lead in the 100m after winning the 100m in Doha in 9.74 on May 15, another personal best for the 33-year-old.

Watch more videos on Flotrack

Gatlin will be joined by fellow countryman and World Relays teammate Michael Rodgers, who most recently clocked a season’s best of 9.90 at the Pre Classic. 

 

2011 World Champion Jenny Simpson is set to follow her stellar Pre Classic winning run with another 1500m in Rome. Simpson won the stacked Pre Classic 1500m in 4:00.98, the second-fastest time run in the world this year. She also recently clocked a solid 800m season-opener at the Hoka One One Middle Distance Classic with a 2:00.79 to take second.

Rome wasn't built in a day but it takes a full one just to get there! These nerds bound for Rome!… https://t.co/RGdceRSaEF

— Jenny Simpson (@trackjenny) May 31, 2015

Simpson will be challenged by current world leader Dawit Seyaum, who is returning from running 4:00.96 at the Doha Diamond League Meeting. The 18-year-old from Ethiopia was the 2014 World Junior Champion. 

 

Ethiopia’s three-time World Champion Mohamed Aman returns to the track for the 800m after dominating the Pre Classic 800m in a winning time of 1:44.92, ahead of Olympic Silver Medalist Nigel Amos who is also set to toe the line for a re-match in Rome. Ferguson Rotich Cheruiyot will be in the running after clocking a 1:44.53 in Doha for the second-fastest time run in the world this year, and Pierre-Ambroise Bosse should also battle after running the sixth-fastest time this year in 1:44.95. 

 

Last but certainly not least, the women’s 100m hurdles promises a star-studded field that includes 2012 Olympic Champion Sally Pearson, 2008 Olympic Champion Dawn Harper-Nelson, and world leader Jasmin Stowers. Stowers has taken the hurdles by storm this season, shattering her personal best and holding the world lead for several weeks. Stowers began her tear at Drake where she took down the field in a then-world lead of 12:40. She followed it weeks later with an improvement on her time at the Jamaican Invitational, clocking 12.39. Most recently, Stowers ran 12.35 in Doha for another personal best and a still-standing world leading mark. Stowers’ performance in Doha took down Rome entries Sharika Nelvis, Tiffany Porter, Pearson, Queen Harrison, and Harper-Nelson, making for an incredibly interesting match-up on Thursday. 

Follow all the Rome Diamond League action with live updates starting Thursday at 1:00 p.m. CT.