Duplantis and Seville Headline Five Must-Watch Events at Diamond League Final

Posted : 03 September 2026

The 2026 Diamond League season reaches its climax in Brussels this weekend, with the two-day final at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme bringing together the world's leading athletes. Friday's opening programme features several high-profile clashes, led by pole-vault superstar Armand “Mondo” Duplantis and newly crowned world 100m champion Oblique Seville.

Men's Pole Vault

Duplantis remains the dominant force in men's pole vaulting, having won Olympic gold twice and three world titles while setting the world record on 15 occasions. However, his latest meetings with Greece's Emmanouil Karalis suggest that the Swedish star could face one of his toughest challenges yet.

At the recent Diamond League meeting in Zurich, Duplantis cleared 6.25 metres to secure victory, while Karalis produced a personal best of 6.20m. The Greek then narrowly missed an attempt at 6.32m, which would have broken Duplantis' world record.

The pair will meet again in Brussels, with Duplantis expected to need another outstanding performance to maintain his dominance. The rivalry has developed into one of the most intriguing contests in athletics, with Karalis increasingly capable of pushing the world-record holder.

Men's 100m

Oblique Seville arrives in Brussels among the leading names in the men's blue-riband sprint after becoming world champion and producing an impressive 9.83-second victory in Silesia.

The Jamaican will face a strong field that includes Americans Trayvon Bromell and Christian Coleman, Nigeria's Kayinsola Ajayi, Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme and South Africans Gift Leotlela and Akani Simbine.

Seville will be looking to maintain his winning momentum and add another major victory to an already impressive season. His performance will be one of Friday's biggest attractions as the Diamond League crowns its champions.

Women's 200m

Olympic champion Julien Alfred will be one of the headline acts in the women's 200m. The St Lucian sprinter heads into Brussels after an impressive victory over 100m world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in Zurich.

Although Jefferson-Wooden will not compete in the 200m in Brussels, several Americans will challenge Alfred, including Anavia Battle, Jenna Prandini, Cambrea Sturgis and Kayla White. European champion Amy Hunt is also among the contenders.

Alfred has made it clear that she is targeting victory and the Diamond Trophy, adding extra importance to what promises to be a competitive sprint final.

Men's 800m

The men's 800m is another event packed with elite talent. Olympic and world champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi arrives after running 1:41.76 to beat Algeria's Djamel Sedjati in Zurich, producing one of the fastest times in history.

Kenyan legend David Rudisha still owns the world record of 1:40.91, but Wanyonyi continues to hint that he believes he can eventually challenge the historic mark.

Wanyonyi will face a formidable field in Brussels that includes Canada's Marco Arop, Sedjati and France's Gabriel Tual. The quartet represents some of the fastest active 800m runners in the world, setting up another high-quality battle over two laps.

Men's 1500m

Jakob Ingebrigtsen will headline a loaded 1500m field as the Norwegian continues his comeback from Achilles surgery. The reigning European 5000m champion has already shown encouraging signs since returning to competition following an extended absence.

Ingebrigtsen finished fourth over 1500m in Silesia and fifth in Zurich, results that demonstrate he is steadily regaining his competitiveness against the world's best.

His challengers in Brussels include American Olympic champion Cole Hocker, as well as Yared Nuguse, Hobbs Kessler and Ethan Strand. With a Diamond League title at stake and Ingebrigtsen continuing to rebuild his form, the race could provide one of Friday's most compelling contests.

The Brussels final runs from September 4-5, with all 32 Diamond League champions to be crowned across the two-day programme.