A trio of Australian middle-distance stars are bound for Friday’s Rome Diamond League, headlined by Commonwealth champion Oliver Hoare’s return to racing while World Indoor medallist Liam Adcock hits the the runway.
The Rome meeting is the fifth of 15 in the Wanda Diamond League Series in 2025, culminating with the final in Zurich prior to the World Athletics Championships. With the stream set to kick off at 5:00am AEST, Saturday 7 June, Australian viewers can tune in live and free via the Diamond League YouTube channel.
Read on for a full preview of the Australian action awaiting in Rome, Italy. Full start lists can be found HERE.
Commonwealth champion Oliver Hoare (Dathan Ritzenhein) will hit the track for the first time since the 2025 Australian Athletics Championships where he clinched bronze, lining up in Rome as one of only four men in the field to have broken 3:30 in the event.
The Australian record holder at 3:29.41 will face off against Olympic medallist Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) and rising star Ronald Cheruiyot (KEN), along with Azeddine Habz (FRA) as the contest is wide open for the taking – with Hoare hoping to be the man on the day.
Hoare sits pretty in the world rankings in his bid to qualify for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, but a time of 3:33.00 or faster would lock away a qualifying performance for the Tokyo championships and put his name forward for selection this September.
Australia’s Liam Adcock had never competed in the Diamond League prior to 2025 but now finds himself as one of the favourites in Rome.
The World Indoor bronze medallist who has become renowned for his showmanship finished in second place at his Diamond League debut in Xiamen to set a high benchmark, now returning to take on world leader Mattia Furlani (ITA), World Championships medallist Simon Ehammer (SUI) and Carey McLeod (JAM).
Adcock’s personal best of 8.33m is good enough to challenge for the win in any competition, with the Olympic long jumper focusing on consistency as he looks to cement himself as a genuine contender for the world title this September.
Two of the five Australian women in history to have shattered four minutes over 1500m will feature in Rome, with Abbey Caldwell (Gavin Burren) and Sarah Billings (Nic Bideau) set to toe the line.
Ethiopian teenager Birke Haylom has posted a career best of 3:53.22 at 19-years-old to loom as the favourite ahead of Hirut Meshesha (ETH), while the Australians are set to land in the thick of the action in what is a good test of international credentials.
Billings (3:59.59) sits narrowly ahead of Caldwell (3:59.79) in the personal best stakes and both athletes have punched their tickets to the 2025 World Athletics Championships over 1500m and 800m respectively, allowing the gloves to come off in Rome.
The contest also features Kenya’s Lokayo Ejore, Ireland’s Sarah Healy and Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 5/6/2025
