Kenya’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala will take part in the 2024 Rome Diamond League on Friday, August 30, 2024 after missing the Olympic final.

This is the thirteenth stage of the Diamond League meet that will take at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, with a regular capacity of 55,211.

Omanyala, the second fastest man this year, was second behind Kerley in Silesia Diamond League circuit, while Marcel Jacobs of Italy finished fourth. In Rome, Omanyala’s African top rival, Letsile Tebogo, the Olympic 200m champion, will be a contestant.

The season world leader over the 100m Kishane Thompson, who came up second by just five-thousandths of a second in 100m final at the Stade de France, will also compete. The Jamaican will line-up for his first post-Olympics race after skipping the Diamond League in Silesia.

USA’s Fred Kerley is back at the Golden Gala seeking a third consecutive 100m victory while Jacobs, fifth in Paris returns to the Olimpico stadium where he clinched the European gold.

The Rome Diamond League series is set to be one of high-octane action given that at least nine Olympic champions are likely to compete.

Thrower Ryan Crouser, winner of a third consecutive Olympic shot put title, and Roje Stona, the shock discus champion from Paris, to newly crowned gold medallist jumpers Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hamish Kerr, to track stars Masai Russell (100 hurdles), Winfred Yavi (3000 steeplechase), and of course Tebogo, the 200m champion.

This year’s competition promises to be exceptionally thrilling, featuring 17 Olympic gold medalists from individual events, including 10 champions from the recent Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The event will showcase a total of 55 athletes who have won Olympic medals in Paris and prior Games, highlighting the depth and quality of the field. The official start lists will be released on the eve of the Golden Gala, adding to the excitement and anticipation surrounding this premier track and field event.