Press Release #9
Tamberi, Kovacs and 6 Paris 2024 Medalists Competing in Rovereto
Gianmarco Tamberi returns to Rovereto and will compete on Tuesday, September 3rd, at the 60th Palio Città della Quercia. The Italian champion, having overcome the physical issues that limited him at Paris 2024, has confirmed his participation at the Stadio Quercia for the fourth time in his career, following his appearances at the Palio in 2021 and 2018, and at the Italian Championships in 2014, also hosted in Rovereto.
The victory in the Diamond League in Chorzow and his regained physical efficiency convinced the Italian record holder to continue his competitive season. After the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea (Rome, August 30th), he will also compete at the Palio Città della Quercia. The champion of everything will face his fellow Italians Stefano Sottile – fourth at Paris 2024 – and Manuel Lando, as well as Germany’s Tobias Potye, who finished second behind him at the 2022 European Championships.
From Paris 2024 to Rovereto: Joe Kovacs and Six Other Olympic Medalists
Two Olympic champions and seven medalists in total: Rovereto awaits many of the stars of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, who are set to write another important chapter, the sixtieth, in the history of the Palio Città della Quercia, returning on Tuesday, September 3rd. The event will be preceded by the men’s pole vault competition on Saturday, August 31st, under the dome of the Mart, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Rovereto.
The shot put ring at Stadio Quercia will welcome American Joe Kovacs, silver medalist a few weeks ago in Paris, completing a trio of second-place finishes after Tokyo 2021 and Rio de Janeiro 2016, in a career that saw him crowned world champion in both 2015 and 2019. In the competition, Kovacs will be joined by Jamaican Rajindra Campbell, who took bronze on the Parisian podium alongside him, as well as fellow American Jordan Geist and Italy’s reigning European indoor champion Zane Weir.
A high concentration of medals can also be found in the men’s 100 meters: Jerome Blake will put his Olympic gold, won with the Canadian 4×100 team, on the line against South Africa’s Shaun Maswanganyi. The duel between these two Paris medalists will include the Americans PJ Austin and Ronnie Baker, another Jamaican, Rohan Watson, and Lorenzo Patta, who himself was an Olympic champion in 2021: in total, five athletes in the field have run under 10 seconds.
At the Stade de France in early August, Eugene Omalla contributed to the Netherlands’ Olympic gold in the mixed relay, a race that also involved Britain’s Samuel Reardon, who took bronze in both the mixed and men’s 4×400 relays. Joining them in the 400 meters starting blocks will be junior world champion Lythe Pillay, along with Brazilian Matheus Lima and Belgian Jonathan Sacoor. In the women’s race, double Olympic medalist in Paris, another Brit Laviai Nielsen, bronze in both the mixed and women’s 4×400, will face the Caribbean’s Sada Williams, world bronze medalist in the 400 meters at the last two World Championships, and experienced Jamaican Stephanie Ann McPherson.
Alongside the podium stars from Paris 2024, many top-tier athletes will compete at the Palio Città della Quercia. As announced in recent days, the women’s 100 meters will feature a Jamaica vs. USA showdown with Tia Clayton, Shashalee Forbes, and meet record-holder Natasha Morrison for the Caribbean, and Tamara Clark, Jenna Prandini, Candace Hill, and Celera Barnes representing the stars and stripes. In the hurdles, keep an eye on Olympic finalists Orlando Bennett and Cindy Sember, while the field events will include 2019 long jump world champion Tajay Gayle and Olympic long jump finalist Ese Brume; in the 800 meters, watch out for the presence of Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanova, European silver medalist in Rome 2024.
A Strong Italian Presence: Besides the aforementioned Tamberi, Sottile, Weir, and Patta, other notable Italians include 800-meter runners Catalin Tecuceanu, Simone Barontini, Francesco Pernici, Elena Bellò, and Eloisa Coiro, with new Italian 1500 meters record-holder Sinta Vissa competing in the 3000 meters alongside Ludovica Cavalli. In the 400 meters, one lane will be dedicated to Edoardo Scotti and Alice Mangione, with Giada Carmassi and Hassane Fofana starring in the high hurdles. The first Italian to take the field will be Simone Bertelli, set to compete in the pole vault challenge at the Mart on Saturday, August 31st, alongside Americans Jacob Wooten and Cole Walsh, Belgian Ben Bröders, and Saudi Hussain Asim Al Hizam. The event starts at 7 PM.
Forty-Two Nations Competing, Representing All Continents: There are 42 different nationalities represented among the athletes competing at the 60th Palio Città della Quercia, covering all continents, a testament to the truly international nature of the event organized by the Gruppo Atletico Palio Città della Quercia with the contribution of Us Quercia Dao Conad.
The Best Athletes of the 60th Palio Città della Quercia, Event by Event
Men’s Events
100 m: PJ Austin (Usa – PB: 9.89), Ronnie Baker (Usa – PB: 9.78), Rohan Watson (Jam – PB – 9.91), Jerome Blake (Jam – PB: 10.00), Shaun Maswanganyi (Rsa – PB: 9.91), Oje Edoburun (Gbr – PB: 9.93)
400 m: Lythe Pillay (Rsa – PB: 44.31), Mattheus Lima (Bra – PB: 44.52), Samuel Reardon (Gbr – PB: 44.70), Jonathan Sacoor (Bel – PB: 44.98)
800 m: Aaron Kemei Cheminingwa (Ken – PB: 1:42.08), Max Burgin (Gbr – PB: 1:43.50), Kethobogile Haingura (Bot – PB: 1:43.94), Catalin Tecuceanu (Ita – PB: 1:43.75)
3000 m: Sean McGorty (Usa – PB: 7:32.79) – Ky Robinson (Aus – PB: 7:36.69), Mohamed Abdilaahi (Ger – PB: 7:38.98), William Kincaid (Usa – PB: 7:38.81)
110hs: Cordell Tinch (Usa – PB: 12.96) – Orlando Bennett (Jam – PB: 13.09)
HJ: Gianmarco Tamberi (Ita – PB: 2.39), Stefano Sottile (Ita – PB: 2.34), Oleh Doroschchuk (Ukr – PB: 2.30), Jan Stefela (Cze – PB: 2.30), Tobias Potye (Ger – PB: 2,30)
LJ: Tajay Gayle (Jam – PB: 8.69), Lester Lescay (Cub – PB: 8.35), Jerrion Lawson (Usa – PB: 8.58), Shawn Thompson (Jam – PB: 8.22), Anvar Anvarov (Uzb – PB: 8.22), Bozhidar Saraboyukov (Bul – PB: 8.22)
PV (31.08): Jacob Wooten (Usa – PB: 5,90), Ben Bröders (Bel – PB: 5.85), Cole Walsh (Usa – PB: 5.83)
SP: Joe Kovacs (Usa – PB: 23.23), Ranjindra Campbell (Jam – PB: 22.22), Jordan Geist (Usa – PB: 22.25), Zane Weir (Ita – PB: 22.44)
Wemen’s Events:
100 m: Celera Barnes (Usa – PB: 10.82), Tia Clayton (Jam – PB: 10.86), Tamara Clark (Usa – PB: 10.88), Jenna Prandini (Usa – PB: 10.92), Candace Hill (Usa – PB: 10.98)
400 m: Sada Williams (Bar – PB: 49.58), Laviai Nielsen (Gbr – PB: 49.87), Stephanie Ann McPherson (Jam – PB: 49.34)
800 m: Sage Hurta-Klecker (Usa – PB: 1:57.85), Jazz Shukla (Can – PB: 1:58.20), Gabriela Gajanova (Svk – PB: 1:58.22), Vivian Chebet Kiprotich (Ken – PB: 1:58.26)
3000 m: Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Gbr – PB: 8:37.74), Agata Caune (Lat – PB: 8:39.78)
100hs: Tonea Marshall (Usa – PB: 12.46), Cindy Sember (Gbr – PB: 12.38), Yanique Thompson (Jam – PB: 12.53)
LJ: Monae Nichols (Usa – PB: 7.04), Quanesha Burks (Usa – PB: 7.06), Eve Brume (Ngr – PB: 6,94)
Tickets
Access to the square at the Mart in the areas designated for the public to closely follow the pole vault will be free of charge.
Tickets to access the Stadio Quercia in Rovereto to attend the 60th edition of the Palio Città della Quercia on Tuesday, September 3rd, can be purchased online.
Tickets can be purchased via the service available at the following link: https://paliocittadellaquercia.it/biglietti/
Tickets are available in three categories:
– €20 + presale fees for a full ticket
– €10 + presale fees for FIDAL members
– Free for under 20s (born after 31.12.2004).
The ticket office at Stadio Quercia will be open on the day of the event only, starting from 5 PM.