Hodgkinson, Kerr Chase Records as London Diamond League Welcomes World-Class Field

Posted : 17 July 2026

The London Diamond League is set to deliver one of the standout athletics meetings of the season, with Olympic champions, world champions and world record holders gathering at London Stadium for the 11th stop of the 2026 series. British stars Keely Hodgkinson and Josh Kerr will lead the home challenge as they pursue historic performances in front of an expected capacity crowd.

Hodgkinson will headline a highly competitive women's 800 metres, where she is expected to challenge the long-standing world record of 1:53.28 set by Jarmila Kratochvílová in 1983. The Olympic champion faces a formidable field that includes Dutch star Femke Bol, Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma, Australia's Sarah Billings, American Addison Wiley, Britain's Jemma Reekie, and rising talents Issy Boffey and Phoebe Gill. World-leading Swiss runner Audrey Werro, however, will not compete in London.

The men's 800 metres promises another high-quality contest, with Olympic and world champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi arriving in London after breaking the world 1,000m record in Monaco. The Kenyan will renew his rivalry with Canada's Marco Arop and American Bryce Hoppel, while British hopes Max Burgin and Ben Pattison will look to challenge Sebastian Coe's national record on home soil.

Josh Kerr will be one of the biggest attractions of the meeting as he targets Hicham El Guerrouj's men's mile world record, which has stood since 1999. The reigning world champion believes advances in training and preparation have created the perfect opportunity to rewrite history, although he faces fierce competition from Americans Yared Nuguse and Hobbs Kessler, fellow American Nathan Green, and Britain's Neil Gourley.

Sprint fans will also be treated to an elite women's 100 metres featuring Olympic champion Julien Alfred. The Saint Lucian arrives in outstanding form after producing one of the fastest 200m performances in history in Monaco and will face a field including Gabby Thomas, Anavia Battle, Dina Asher-Smith, Amy Hunt and Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

The men's pole vault is expected to provide another highlight, with world record holder Armand "Mondo" Duplantis returning to London to face Greece's Emmanouil Karalis. Duplantis continues to dominate the event and will once again attempt to extend his remarkable collection of world records, while Karalis arrives after climbing to second on the all-time list with a clearance of 6.17 metres.

Hodgkinson, Kerr Chase Records as London Diamond League Welcomes World-Class Field

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