Pole vault sensation Armand “Mondo” Duplantis will lead a star-studded cast as the 16th Diamond League season kicks off in Xiamen on Saturday, just days after being crowned World Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus Awards.
The Swedish world record holder, who has cleared 6.27m, is among several global athletics icons choosing the Diamond League over the newly-launched Grand Slam Track series founded by sprint legend Michael Johnson.
Despite welcoming competition, Diamond League CEO Petr Stastny defended the series’ global reach, pointing to its 15-meet calendar, US$9.2 million prize pool, and participation from athletes in over 140 countries.
While Johnson’s sprint-focused series opened in Kingston to lukewarm attendance and limited star power, many elite names have opted for Xiamen.
Karsten Warholm, Grant Holloway, Faith Kipyegon, and Letsile Tebogo are all confirmed for Saturday, while Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet will battle Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in a highly anticipated 5,000m clash.
As the athletics calendar intensifies ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo this September, all eyes will be on how these rival platforms shape the sport’s future.
