A major dose of star power will be on display at the Diamond League 2026 season opening meet on Saturday as record holders, world and Olympic champions kick off the outdoor campaign in Shanghai/Keqiao in China.
Keqiao Stadium is set to host a loaded lineup that includes Mondo Duplantis, Sha’Carri Richardson, Letsile Tebogo and Faith Kipyegon compete in 16 disciplines divided evenly between men’s and women’s events.
The series was set to start on May 8 in Doha, Qatar was moved to June 19 as continued conflict surrounding the Iran War prompted organizers to postpone the meet. In late March, officials initially said that the event would still proceed as planned even as other high profile events, like two Formula 1 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on April 12 and 19 were canceled due to security concerns in the Middle East.
All 14 scheduled meets are still set to take place as the season will also see showcases staged in Xiamen, Rabat, Rome, Stockholm, Oslo, Doha, Paris, Eugene, Monaco, London, Lausanne, Silesia and Zurich along with a two-day final in Brussels in September.
A number of those competing will be making their outdoor season debuts and Duplantis heads into Keqiao with all eyes pointed in his direction has he aims to push the pole vault beyond the four world record he set in 2025. Duplantis leaped to 6.30m at last year’s world championships in Tokyo and was other worldly in March when he inched the mark even higher to 6.31m at the Mondo Classic in Uppsala, Sweden — his 15th record. On Saturday, he will face considerable competition that includes Emmanouil Karalis as Zachery Bradford, Thibaut Collet, Sondre Guttormsen, Sam Kendricks and Kurtis Marschall all have a legitimate shot to edge past Duplantis in Keqiao but will need to match his persistence in the later attempts.
In the women’s 200m, an early season jolt arrives with Richardson, Shericka Jackson, Mckenzie Long and Shaunae Miller-Uibo as a lock for who will put the short sprints world at full attention first. Jackson is the second-fastest ever in the event at 21.41, but a win over a loaded field is far from guaranteed as Richardson looks to rebound from a mixed season last year — by her standards — that ended with her taking fifth in the women’s 100m final in Tokyo in September.
Tebogo headlines a strong men’s 200m group that will get explosive from the first step out of the block as Kenny Bednarek, Christian Coleman, Akani Simbine, Trayvon Bromell and Ferdinand Omanyala all have the tools — and speed — to take the win.
The women’s 5,000m will be another moment for Kipyegon to shine following a stellar 2025 that saw an attempt to run under four minute in the mile, lower her own world record in the 1,500m to 3:48.68 and win a fourth straight world championship in the event. Medina Eisa, Likina Amebaw and Hirut Meshesha will be part of a large group looking to stick with her on the final lap.
Schedule
5:19 a.m. – Men’s Long Jump
6:15 a.m. – Men’s Pole Vault
6:27 a.m. – Women’s Shot Put
6:37 a.m. – Women’s 5,000m
7:04 a.m. – Women’s 400m
7:14 a.m. – Men’s 110m Hurdles
7:19 a.m. – Women’s Long Jump
7:23 a.m. – Women’s 3,000m Steeple
7:41 a.m. – Men’s 800m
7:48 a.m. – Men’s Discus Throw
7:52 a.m. – Women’s 200m
8:00 a.m. – Men’s 3,000m
8:16 a.m. – Men’s 100m
8:28 a.m. – Women’s 1,500m
8:41 a.m. – Men’s 300m Hurdles
8:52 a.m. – Women’s 100m Hurdles
How To Watch
Diamond League will be available to stream on the Watch Athletics + platform, with coverage in the United States on FloTrack, CBC Sports in Canada, while viewers in the United Kingdom can watch via the BBC.
All times Eastern.
2026 Diamond League season schedule
May 16 – Shanghai/Keqiao
May 23 – Xiamen
May 31 – Rabat
June 4 – Rome
June 7 – Stockholm
June 10 – Oslo
June 19 – Doha
June 28 – Paris
July 4 – Eugene
July 10 – Monaco
July 18 – London
August 21 – Lausanne
August 23 – Silesia
August 27 – Zurich
September 4-5 – Diamond League Final in Brussels
