Shanghai Diamond League: 5 Epic Battles to Look Forward To

Track and field fans are rubbing their hands with glee as the 2026 Diamond League campaign begins with the season-opening leg in Shanghai, China and most of the big hitters are there.

Ahead of Saturday’s packed programme, Pulse Sports highlights the epic battles anticipated in the Chinese city.

The women’s 3,000m steeplechase will feature three global champions in Faith Cherotich of Kenya, Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan and Peruth Chemutai of Uganda.

Chemutai, who won Olympic gold in 2021 and silver in Paris two years ago, has the quickest personal best at 8:48.03, with Cherotich, the reigning world champion, just behind with 8:48.71.

Also in the field are Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani, who was fourth in last year’s world final, and France’s Alice Finot, the reigning European champion who was fourth in the 2024 Olympic final.

Not in his usual 400m or 400m hurdles, Kirsten Warholm, who was a hugely impressive winner at this meeting last year, clocking 47.28 in the 400m hurdles, will take on a world-class field in the 300m hurdles this time with his world best of 32.67 under threat. He will line up against 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos of Brazil and 2022 world bronze medallist Trevor Bassitt of USA.

Dos Santos and Warholm have had epic battles in recent years and another one is in the offing on Saturday.

The men’s 3000m looks like it will be a battle of Ethiopians and Kenyans with Andreas Almgren – the 2025 world bronze medallist at 10,000m – is the biggest threat to the East Africans as he comes to the race with a Swedish record of 7:31.42.

Kenya has a strong line up in this race that includes 2019 world 1500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot and 2025 world 1500m bronze medallist Reynold Cheruiyot both stepping up from their specialist distance, while their compatriots Jacob Krop and Edwin Kurgat have both run 7:28 at their best. Ethiopia will also be well represented with Getnet Wale and Addisu Yihune in the field, making up for a tantalizing contest in Shanghai.

The women’s 200m is loaded with star quality, featuring two-time world champion Shericka Jackson, 2023 world 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson, two-time Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo and last year’s world 200m silver medallist Amy Hunt.

Also in the field are Anavia Battle, who claimed 200m victory in Shanghai/Keqiao last year before finishing fourth in the world final, along with fellow US sprinters McKenzie Long – a 200m finalist at Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2025 – and Jenna Prandini, who recently showed strong form with a sub-11-second 100m.

The men’s 100m will serve up a clash between some of the biggest names in global sprinting. They include Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, South Africa’s Akani Simbine and the US trio of Christian Coleman, Kenny Bednarek and Trayvon Bromell.

The in-form Lachlan Kennedy, who clocked 9.96 to win the Australian 100m title last month, is also in the field, while Chinese fans will be cheering for their national 200m record holder Xie Zhenye. Unfortunately, Kishane Thompson had to withdraw from the event with Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala from Kenya confirmed as his replacement.