The Diamond League 2026 athletics season began on May 30 in Shanghai/Keqiao, China, featuring elite athletes including Armand Duplantis, Faith Kipyegon, Letsile Tebogo, Amy Hunt, Shericka Jackson, and Sha'Carri Richardson [1, 2]. The opening meet marks the start of a 15-stop series across four continents, culminating in a two-day final in Brussels on September 4-5 [1, 2].
Originally scheduled to start in Doha on May 8, the Doha meet was postponed until June due to conflict in the Middle East [1]. The Shanghai/Keqiao meet will be broadcast live on BBC Two from 12:00 BST today [1].
British competitors at the event include Amy Hunt in the women's 200 meters, Ben Pattison in the 800 meters, Lawrence Okoye in discus, and Melissa Courtney-Bryant and Revee Walcott-Nolan in the 5,000 meters [1]. Ben Pattison aims to win medals at the European Championships in Birmingham and Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this year. "The plan is to do both and my goal is to get two medals. It's been three years now since I've got a medal at a major championship, so I feel like it's been far too long," Pattison said [1].
Diamond League CEO Petr Stastny described the series as a global competition featuring athletes from about 100 countries and said the circuit is focused on innovation and fan engagement. "With competitors from around 100 countries and an ever-growing fanbase on all seven continents, the Wanda Diamond League is a truly global series which delivers reliable, championship-level track and field competitions to athletes and fans across the world," Stastny said. He added, "In the coming years, the series will remain on the cutting edge of innovation in athlete services and fan engagement, while continuing to provide a crucial foundation for the sustainable growth of the sport as a whole" [2].
The Diamond League's total prize money for 2026 is $9.24 million [2].
Following the Diamond League final in Brussels, the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships will take place in Budapest from September 11 to 13 [1, 2].
