by Perri Williams
Today between noon and 2pm, on Virgin Media Three you can watch ten world record-holders, and 23 reigning global champions compete in their first Diamond League of 2025. While Ireland may not have any representation, there will be Mondo Duplantis, Grant Holloway, Faith Kipyegon, Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Gudaf Tsegay to enthral and entertain. And these are just some of the global stars set to kick start their diamond league campaign at the Egret Stadium in Xiamen.
Heading the train of track and field superstars is Mondo Duplantis who set the eight of his eleven world records in that very stadium. Just last year he cleared 6.24m before going one centimetre higher to claim both world record and Olympic title four months later in Paris. Since retaining his Olympic title Duplantis has of course set two further world records; a 6.26 at the Diamond League in Selesia and 6.27m in Clermont-Ferrand in February of this year. Can the Swede move any closer to breaking that 6.30m barrier this summer?
Just a few days ago Faith Kipyegon announced her bid to break the four-minute mile barrier in the in Paris in June. Something we all look forward to witnessing. However, there are other races to take care of before the. The three-time 1500m Olympian Champion will step down to the 1000m in Xiamen as she opens up her 2025 track season. The Kenyan is second on the world all-time list for the 1000m just a meagre 0.17 off the 29-year-old record set by Svetlana Masterkova's. Kipyegon has not run a 1000m race since she set her personal best in Monaco almost five years ago. Can she add the 1000m record to her existing 1500m and mile ones?
The 5000m will feature double Olympic Champion Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) and world 5000m record holder and 1500m world indoor champion Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia). This should prove to be one of the most exciting races of the night as the two athletes are renowned for their fierce competitiveness and unrelenting desire for topping the field. Lining up beside them will be Ethiopia’s two-time world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu and Birke Haylom. Morocco’s multiple Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali goes in the 3000m steeplechase, his season opener.
At last year’s Olympic Games Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh took women’s high jumping to new heights with her world record of 2.10m. Her World Indoor bid in Nanjing did not go as well as she finished third behind Australia’s Nicole Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson. All three athletes will be in Xiamen for a rematch, with Mahuchikh hoping for a better outcome.
Just recently World Athletics announced the introduction of a 300m hurdles as an official event. This means there will be world rankings for the discipline, while an inaugural world record for is also under consideration in the future. Karsten Warholm (33.26) and Femke Bol (36.86) currently hold the world bests for this discipline. In Xiamen Warholm the 400m Hurdles world record holder will kick start his 2025 hurdles outdoor season with a bid to eclipse his four year old personal best.
The 100m will feature the Olympic 200m gold medallist and 100m silver medallist Letsile Tebogo along with all three Nanjing podium finishers Jeremiah Azu, Lachlan Kennedy and Akani Simbine. No Noah Lyles just yet.
Grant Holloway expected to open his 2025 season with an explosive win in Gainesville, Florida last weekend. However, 26-year-old Trey Cunningham ran a blistering 13.09 to leave everyone blinking with disbelief. Holloway will seek to return to winning ways in the 110m hurdles as he faces Cordell Tinch, Freddie Crittenden and Olympic silver medallist Daniel Roberts.
Shericka Jackson (Jamicia) will face world indoor 60m champion Mujinga Kambundji (Switzerland) over 100m while the men’s 400m will feature world indoor champion Christopher Bailey, Olympic and world gold medallist Kirani James and Bayapo Ndori. An exciting competition to set your watch to.
This non exhaustive list is just some of the action that you can expect from today’s Diamond League. While Ireland may not have any representation, the action promises a few hours of fantastic, nail-biting action with some thrilling battles. Don’t forget to set your alarms for noon.