Kebinatshipi and Jackson break Diamond League records as Wanyonyi shines in Brussels
Collen Kebinatshipi and Chase Jackson produced record-breaking performances on a spectacular opening night of the Wanda Diamond League Final at Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium. Kebinatshipi stormed to a Diamond League and Botswana record of 43.40 in the men’s 400m, while Jackson delivered a North American and Diamond League record of 21.14m in the women’s shot put. Emmanuel Wanyonyi added a meeting record of 1:41.80 in the men’s 800m as the first 16 Diamond League champions of 2026 were crowned. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde attended the opening night of the 50th Memorial Van Damme, which honours Belgian middle-distance great Ivo Van Damme, who died in a car accident on 29 December 1976, months after winning Olympic silver medals in the 800m and 1500m in Montreal.
Men’s 400m
World champion Collen Kebinatshipi won his first Diamond League title in sensational fashion, setting Diamond League, meeting and Botswana records of 43.40. It was his sixth Diamond League victory of the season following wins in Xiamen (43.92), Paris (43.54), Eugene (44.00), Monaco (43.44) and Chorzów (43.59).
World silver medallist Jereem Richards finished second, improving his Trinidad and Tobago record by four hundredths to 43.68. Defending Diamond League champion Jacory Patterson and Chris Bailey also broke 44 seconds, setting personal bests of 43.78 and 43.97 respectively. European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith placed fifth in 44.23.
Collen Kebinatshipi: “Both the win and the time are incredible, but taking home the Wanda Diamond League Trophy stands out the most. After staying undefeated all season, I feel like I really deserve this reward. I would like to thank the crowd for the amazing energy; I felt pushed throughout. I hope to finish this season as the world leader, and for that I will need to find 0.02 seconds next week at the World Ultimate Championships in Budapest. The main part that needs to improve is my back straight. That will be the focus in Budapest: not being too relaxed in the first part.”
Women’s shot put
Two-time world champion Chase Jackson claimed her third Diamond League title with a world-leading 21.14m in the third round, breaking the Diamond League and North American records. Her only other valid throw measured 20.04m in the opening round.
The American surpassed 21 metres for the second consecutive competition, one week after winning in Berlin with 21.02m. Canada’s Sarah Mitton placed second with an opening-round 20.64m, ahead of European and world champion Jessica Schilder (20.57m).
Chase Jackson: “Right now, adrenaline is still keeping me together, but when I get to the hotel, I will start crying. I have been training very well and I was determined to show that I had an even bigger throw in me than the one I did last week. It’s amazing to be part of this generation of shot putters.”
Men’s 800m
Emmanuel Wanyonyi secured his fourth consecutive Diamond League title in the men’s 800m, setting a meeting record of 1:41.80. The Kenyan came within four hundredths of his world-leading 1:41.76, set in Zurich the previous week.
Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati finished second in 1:42.71, replicating the top two from Zurich. Yanis Meziane took third in a season’s best of 1:42.87, ahead of Marco Arop (1:43.50), Ben Pattison (1:44.29) and Gabriel Tual (1:44.55).
Emmanuel Wanyonyi: “Today was all about winning. I knew I would have to run 1:41 to win, and I did. I won the Diamond League for the fourth time in a row, and that’s just fantastic. The conditions were not ideal tonight. The wind did not bother me that much. I was happy it stopped raining.”
Men’s pole vault
World and European silver medallist Emmanouil Karalis won his first Diamond League title, improving the meeting record by one centimetre to 6.12m with his third attempt after clearing 5.92m at the first time of asking.
Sondre Guttormsen cleared 5.82m on his first attempt to finish second on countback ahead of Kurtis Marschall. Sam Kendricks placed fourth with 5.72m.
Emmanouil Karalis: “I wanted to have a big battle with Mondo, but unfortunately injury is part of our sport. His DNS left the door open for someone else to take the win, and I’m delighted to have seized that opportunity. This is my first Diamond League Final win, a trophy that represents how I’m currently living my dreams. The stadium was full of Greeks; it was absolutely crazy how many of them were here tonight. I get a lot of love from all over the world this year, and that makes this part of my career extra special. I’m extremely grateful to be in the position that I am today.”
Armand Duplantis, who held the previous meeting record of 6.11m, withdrew before the competition because of a leg injury.
Armand Duplantis: “This problem in my leg started in London. It felt okay after that and I put a lot of work in, but the pain came back in Zurich. I pushed through it, probably a little bit too much. I said that if I felt this irritation during my warm-up, I wasn’t going to jump. Therefore, I made the difficult decision not to start. The worst possible thing is having to pull out of a competition. The fans wanted to see a good show, and I wish I could deliver that. Unfortunately, I can’t do that right now. My head is everywhere. It’s super difficult, but that’s life—the life of an athlete. I’m trying to stay calm and positive. We will see if I can make it to the Ultimate Championship. I don’t have the answer right now.”
Women’s 200m
Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred won the women’s 200m in 21.79 (+0.1m/s), claiming her second Diamond League Trophy two years after winning the 100m title in Brussels. It was Alfred’s fourth Diamond League victory over 200m this season following wins in Rome (21.93), Monaco (21.51) and London (21.66).
Lausanne winner Kayla White finished second in 22.00, while four-time European champion Amy Hunt of Great Britain placed third with a season’s best of 22.16.
Julien Alfred: “I haven’t run the 200m since the London Diamond League in July. I have to figure it out again because this distance is so different to execute compared with the 100m. It felt fairly new stepping back into the event, but a win is a win, so I am really happy with the race. Although it went well today, I’m not planning to do the double at the Ultimate Championship. This was my last 200m of the season. Now I’m going back to the 100m, my baby.”
Men’s 100m
World champion Oblique Seville edged a closely contested men’s 100m in 9.90, holding off Emmanuel Eseme (9.93) to claim his first Diamond League title. It was the Jamaican’s third Diamond League victory of the season after wins in Monaco (9.88) and Chorzów (9.83).
Kayinsola Ajayi, who won in Eugene and London, finihttps://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inboxshed third in 9.97, ahead of Lachlan Kennedy (9.99).
Oblique Seville: “My start was far from the best, but the aim is always to win, so I won’t complain. I didn’t change too much after becoming world champion. What I was doing clearly worked, and this season is further proof of that. Next season I want to retain my title and dominate the Diamond League.”
Women’s 3000m steeplechase
World champion Faith Cherotich successfully defended her Diamond League title, setting a meeting record of 8:51.61. Doris Lemngole completed a Kenyan one-two in 8:52.86, ahead of Olympic champion Winfred Yavi of Bahrain (8:53.54).
Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani placed fourth in 8:57.02, breaking nine minutes for the fifth time this season, while Peruth Chemutai finished fifth in 8:59.77.
Faith Cherotich: “I am happy with this race and the meeting record. I trained really hard to win the Diamond League Trophy. During the race, I was not sure that I was going to win. This was my last race of the season. I made good progress, and I am hungry to start my preparation for next season.”
Men’s 1500m
Australian 20-year-old Cameron Myers capped an outstanding season by winning the men’s 1500m in 3:30.14. He held off world under-20 record-holder Phanuel Koech Kipkosgei, who finished second in a season’s best of 3:30.18.
Ethan Strand, winner at the Diamond League meeting in Chorzów, took third in 3:30.50, edging Jakob Ingebrigtsen by two hundredths. Yared Nuguse finished fifth in 3:30.56.
Cameron Myers: “It feels great to participate in my first Diamond League Final and immediately take the victory. Everyone was pushing each other, but I felt that I could stay relaxed and save my energy for the home straight. I wouldn’t say this victory comes as a surprise to me. It’s more a relief to finally showcase what I’ve been building towards over the last couple of years. It feels surreal, even though I always believed I had it in me. But it’s so different to actually do it and execute it when it matters. This is going to be a fun memory to look back on. Now it’s time to rest ahead of the Ultimate Championship. I want to win every race I enter, so the target in Budapest is definitely the top spot. I’m excited.”
Men’s discus throw
European champion Kristjan Čeh of Slovenia set a meeting record of 71.29m in the third round to win the men’s discus, just days after claiming gold at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto. Mykolas Alekna also surpassed 70 metres, finishing second with 70.14m, while Rojé Stona placed third with 68.86m.
Kristjan Čeh: “It was a really good competition with a great atmosphere. The stadium was almost full. It’s always special to compete in the final because it’s a little different from other Diamond League competitions. Whoever wins here wins everything. My technique was not quite perfect today, and I feel like I left about two metres out there. I still have two competitions left this season, so hopefully I can produce a better result distance-wise. Looking back, I have accomplished basically everything I set out to achieve at the beginning of the season: the European title, the Mediterranean Games gold and now the Diamond League Trophy. I am really happy with how this season unfolded.”
Men’s 110m hurdles
World record-holder Ja’Kobe Tharp claimed his third Diamond League victory of the season, clocking 13.03 into a 0.3m/s headwind. Jamal Britt, winner of five Diamond League races this year, placed second in 13.09, while Trey Cunningham completed an American sweep of the top three in 13.22.
Cuba’s Kendry Menendez finished fourth in 13.32, ahead of Belgian indoor record-holder Elie Bacari (13.42).
Ja’Kobe Tharp: “The time was all right. It is among my 10 fastest, so I can’t complain. A win is a win. It felt amazing to be part of the Diamond League circuit. It pushed me to the next level. I am super excited for the future. Hopefully I can keep going. I love the pressure of being the world record-holder. The more pressure I feel, the better I run. Only time will tell if I can go even faster. I am just focused on winning races. It was truly a blessing to run on the track where the previous world record was set. To come out here and run a good performance is truly amazing.”
Men’s long jump
Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle, the 2019 world champion, won the men’s long jump with a season’s best of 8.46m. Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou took the lead with 8.31m and improved to 8.40m in the fourth round, but Gayle responded with 8.46m in the Final 3 to secure the second Diamond League Trophy of his career.
Simon Ehammer jumped 8.23m in the final round to take third, ahead of Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Saraboyukov (8.00m).
Tajay Gayle: “Second time winning the Diamond League Final here in Brussels! This place definitely seems to bring me good fortune. Without an Olympics or World Athletics Championships, there was no need to rush preparation this year, and we worked patiently towards the Diamond League Final and the World Ultimate Championship. It was a bit cold for me as a Jamaican, but I handled that well. This was a super-strong field full of hard-working guys, which makes the win feel very well earned. Everyone has consistently been jumping 8.30m this year, so I will need to step it up if I want to become the next world champion. Those 8.50m and 8.60m jumps absolutely feel like a realistic goal.”
Women’s triple jump
Saly Sarr leapt 14.96m in the fifth round to win the women’s triple jump, earning her second consecutive Diamond League victory after Chorzów. Leyanis Pérez Hernández placed second with 14.82m, ahead of Davisleydi Velazco (14.73m).
Saly Sarr: “It was a good competition, but the conditions made it difficult. I hoped for a better result, but the main thing was to take the win tonight. It’s been an exceptional year for me, as I improved my personal best at each Diamond League competition. It’s the result of a continuous process of hard work with my coach and also my previous coaches. It’s great to be part of an exceptional generation of triple jumpers, and it’s an honour to compete with athletes such as Leyanis Pérez Hernández and Davisleydi Velazco. Now I’m looking forward to Budapest, where I would also like to take the win.”
Women’s 400m hurdles
Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell claimed her second consecutive Diamond League victory, winning in 53.01 one week after clocking 52.13 in Zurich. European champion Emma Zapletalová finished second in 53.10, ahead of Paulien Couckuyt, who lowered her Belgian record to 53.20, and Gianna Woodruff (53.56).
Anna Cockrell: “This win is all that matters to me. Times are great, but I have established that I can run fast. Now it’s about winning races. I don’t like when people call this an off year: the US Championships are a major meet, and with the Diamond League Final and the Ultimate Championships, there is a lot to fight for.”
Women’s discus throw
China’s Feng Bin, the 2022 world champion, claimed a surprise victory with a season’s best of 67.46m. Two-time Olympic champion Valarie Allman had to settle for second with 66.92m, bringing her run of five consecutive Diamond League titles to an end. European champion Jorinde van Klinken placed third with 64.66m.
Feng Bin: “This was quite unexpected because I haven’t been able to train systematically over the last couple of months. I felt kind of lost during the season, and I didn’t have a lot of expectations for tonight. However, being able to deliver a season’s best and win the Diamond League Final is an enormous confidence boost.”
Men’s high jump
Poland’s Mateusz Kołodziejski cleared 2.28m on his first attempt to claim a surprise victory, beating JuVaughn Harrison on countback. Oleh Doroshchuk and Gianmarco Tamberi shared third place with 2.25m.
Women’s 5000m
Ethiopia swept the top three places as Freweyni Hailu took the title in 14:35.20, ahead of compatriots Likina Amebaw (14:36.31) and Senayet Getachew (14:37.09). Australia’s Rose Davies was the leading non-Ethiopian finisher, placing fourth in a season’s best of 14:37.47.
Women’s invitational 400m
Lieke Klaver won the non-Diamond League women’s invitational 400m in 49.67, ahead of France’s Isabelle Boffey (50.72).
Lieke Klaver: “Damn, it hurts to finish this close to my PB. I knew that my shape was still there, but I had some difficulties with my stride over the final 50 metres. I am still happy that I could run here in Brussels and prove that I belonged in the Diamond League Final. It hurts that I could only run this invitational 400m, but racing this close to home convinced me to participate. Besides the connection to home, I love this track, the organisation and the people in Brussels. This was a good race, and we are moving in the right direction, which is promising ahead of the Ultimate Championship. It would be great to beat my PB next week.”
Men’s invitational 400m
Botswana’s Lee Eppie won the non-Diamond League men’s invitational 400m in a season’s best of 44.50. European silver medallist Muhammad Abdallah Kounta of France finished second in 44.55, ahead of European indoor record-holder Attila Molnár (44.66). Belgium’s Jonathan Sacoor improved his personal best to 44.85 in fourth, with Italian record-holder Edoardo Scotti fifth in 45.01.
Lee Eppie: “It went well despite having to run in lane eight. I executed the race properly, even in these windy and cold conditions.”
