From 5000m world record holder Joshua Cheptegei to 100m title holder Dina Asher-Smith, next week’s Pietro Mennea Golden Gala in Florence will feature some of the very best athletes in the world. <\/p>\n
With just a week to go until the third Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season, Florence unveiled star-studded entry lists on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Cheptegei, who broke the world record at the Monaco Diamond League last year, begins his Diamond League title charge at the Italian meeting on June 10th. The Ugandan star will face a tough field which includes Norwegian prodigy Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who got early points on the board in the 1500m with victory in the season opener in Gateshead last month.<\/p>\n
Asher-Smith, who also won in Gateshead to make a perfect start to her 100m title defence, will launch her 200m campaign in Florence against the likes of Dafne Schippers and Marie-Jos\u00e9e Ta Lou. Her fellow Brit Laura Muir is one of several superstars in the women’s 1500m line-up, which also features 2017 Diamond Trophy winner Faith Kipyegon and reigning champion Sifan Hassan.<\/p>\n
Local fans will have a familiar, half-bearded face to cheer in the men’s high jump, as Italian stallion Gianmarco Tamberi goes up against three-time Diamond Trophy winner Mutaz Essa Barshim and Ilya Ivanyuk, who won the first competition of the season in Doha last week. <\/p>\n