Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova continued her peerless start to the outdoor season by winning her second Diamond League event in the space of five days in Rome on Thursday (4) evening.
After winning in Rabat on Sunday in 52.82, Zapletalova replicated this form in Rome as she improved her national record and world lead to 52.58 despite clattering through the final barrier for victory ahead of Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell from the United States in 52.77.
“It has been a crazy start of the season. I didn't think I would be able to start my season with two national records. It's amazing, I am enjoying it a lot. My focus this season is the European Championships. I want to improve my personal bests,” said Zapletalova.
With two-time champion Femke Bol switching to the 800m, Zapletalova looks best placed to fill the void left by the Dutchwoman. Her winning time in Rome puts her third on the European all-time list behind Bol (50.95) and former world record-holder Yulia Pechonkina from Russia (52.34).
In her last appearance at the European Athletics Championships, a clearly injured Zapletalova finished last in her 400m hurdles heat in Munich 2022 but the 26-year-old, who now trains with Dutch coach Bram Peters, has the possibility of making history by becoming the first Slovakian woman to win a European title in Birmingham this August.
49.60 400m debut for Jaeger
One month after her heroics for Norway in the 4x400m at the World Athletics Relays, Henriette Jaeger translated this form into her first 400m of the outdoor season.
Jaeger forged through the field in the last 50 metres, moving from fourth to first for victory in 49.60 ahead of world indoor champion Lurdes Gloria Manuel from Czechia who broke the 50 second-barrier for the first time with a lifetime best of 49.77.
"My next race will be in Oslo. I am really happy about this race, coming so close to my PB. I am hoping to get a new PB this summer. My shape is really good, I feel very good," said Jaeger whose lifetime best stands at 49.49.
In her first race since her record-breaking indoor season, Keely Hodgkinson finished seventh in a lifetime best of 51.14. She will race over 800m for the first time outdoors in 2026 in the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday afternoon.
Hodgkinson’s training partner and fellow world indoor champion Georgia Hunter-Bell was in winning form in the 1500m. In her first race since March, the Brit powered clear in the last 300 metres for victory in 3:58.63.
Victorious homecoming for Fabbri
Two years after winning the European shot put title in this very stadium, Leonardo Fabbri delivered another rousing performance in the Stadio Olimpico.
Fabbri launched the shot put in excess of the 22 metre-line in the third round with 22.14m to clinch victory over the mighty US duo of Joe Kovacs (21.87m) and world record-holder Ryan Crouser (21.50m).
And two years after Gianmarco Tamberi’s virtuoso performance in the high jump at the 2024 European Athletics Championships, another Italian jumper stepped up to take the plaudits in the event with Tamberi still not ready to return to competition.
Only 20, European U23 champion Matteo Sioli took his first ever Diamond League victory with a 2.28m clearance to win by two clear heights from Mexico’s Erick Portillo with 2.23m.
European indoor champion Bozhidar Saraboyukov from Bulgaria took a dramatic victory over three-time European champion Miltiadis Tentoglou in the long jump which was missing world champion and home favourite Mattia Furlani as he recovers from injury.
Tentoglou leapt out to 8.24m in the last round to move into the lead only for Saraboyukov to respond with 8.26m with the final jump of the competition, prompting the Bulgarian to break out into a series of somersaults in celebration of the first Diamond League win of his career.
Photos courtesy of James Rhodes