The 2024 Diamond League series begins this week and the glittering start list includes reigning world champions Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles, Mondo Duplantis, and Faith Kipyegon, who are seeking to start their Paris 2024 Olympic season on a high.
Track and field action from the 15 meetings starts this Saturday 20 April in Xiamen, People's Republic of China, and will conclude on 13-14 September with the Final in Brussels, Belgium.
Besides the stars from the 2023 World Athletics Championships, there are returning Diamond League winners as well as Olympic champions keen to hit their peaks again at the Games in Paris.
Read on to find out everything you can expect from this year's World Athletics top tier series.
- Diamond League 2024: Full list of disciplines and results for each World Athletics track and field top tier event
- How to qualify for athletics at Paris 2024
Athletes to watch at the 2024 Diamond League
All eyes on world sprint champions Sha’carri Richardson, Shericka Jackson and Noah Lyles
The Diamond League meeting in Xiamen will be Sha’Carri Richardson’s first individual race in 2024 since finishing fourth in the 100m at the Diamond League Final at Prefontaine Classic. The American raced in the 4x100m relay in Florida last March and has opted to start off her season in the 200m, where she earned bronze behind Shericka Jackson in Budapest.
She will undoubtedly use her opening race in the Chinese city to build up to what should be an enthralling 200m rematch between her and Jamaican star Jackson at the next stop in Shanghai/ Suzhou
2022 World 100m champion Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman, fresh from winning the world indoors in Glasgow last March, are the other American sprint stars hoping to continue their rich run of form this season. Kerley who’s topped two of his 100m races this year, will line up against Coleman, and another former world gold medallist Yohan Blake in both meetings in China.
Swedish star Duplantis is among the 12 Olympic champions tipped to light up the Egret stadium in Xiamen. The last time the world gold medallist competed in the Diamond League, he improved his pole vault world record to 6.23m, a mark he is tipped to improve as he eyes title defence in Paris.
Still in Xiamen, in the high jump Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim will take on world indoor champion Hamish Kerr, as Portugal’s Pedro Pichardo aims to take full control of what should be an intriguing triple jump duel with Hugues Fabrice Zango, who took the title in Budapest.
Home favourite Lijiao Gong, the Tokyo 2020 Games shot put winner, should thrill fans when he takes on two-time world winner, Chase Jackson, in the opening two meetings.
Double Olympic champ Kipyegon will be seeking to extend her unbeaten run in the 1500m. The Kenyan, who set three world records last year, has won every 1500m she has started since 2021.
And in May in Doha, all eyes will be on the returning 400m hurdlers Abderrahaman Samba and 2022 world champion Alison Dos Santos, after injury-riddled seasons. But any possible rematch with three-time world champion Karsten Warholm may have to wait until Oslo.
In Qatar, Indian hero Neeraj Chopra will also look to set the tone for his season.
The women’s 800m should be one of the headline acts at the Prefontaine Classic, with the early confirmation of the three medallists from the final at the 2024 Worlds.
Reigning global champ Mary Moraa of Kenya, Britain’s Keely Hodgkingson, and American Olympic gold medallist Athing Mu should provide eye-catching action in the two laps.
World records that could fall in the Diamond League 2024 season
After raising the world record for the seventh time, Duplantis is likely to attempt to leap past his 6.23 mark in the men’s pole vault.
Another field star is Olympic champion Ryan Crouser, who has dominated the men’s shot put and is likely to continue his push to heave past the 24m mark, nearly a year after breaking his own world mark with a 23.56m throw.
After sprinting to the second-fastest time in history in the World Championship final, Shericka Jackson should step up the race to lower Florence Griffith-Joyner’s long-standing world record. She’s been clear of her intent “to go after the record,” and should be more energised after nearly eclipsing the 30-year-old mark of 21.24 last year.
Expect more explosive timings from Kenya’s golden girl, Kipyegon. The three-time world champion should try to lower her 1500m and mile world records further, after Gudaf Tsegay beat her 5000m mark.
Conditions permitting, Dutch star Femke Bol, who twice shattered the 400m indoor world record, could be a suitable candidate for the 400m hurdles world record as she targets her first Olympic title. There’s also Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the US world and Olympic titleholder, who should leap at the chance to lower her world record of 50.68 from 2022.
Tobi Amusan’s 100m hurdles 12.12-second world record could tumble with the favourites including the Nigerian, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, and in-form Devyanne Charlton set to race together as early as in Xiamen.
After narrowly missing the men’s 3000m steeplechase world record in Rabat last year, Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, who rounded off last season unbeaten, is another possible contender to attack Lamecha Girma’s world record set in June last year.
How to watch the 2024 Diamond League Series
Action will be streamed in a number of territories on the Wanda Diamond League YouTube page, but the livestream will NOT be available in all territories.
BBC has the rights in the UK and will broadcast it on BBC Two, while for audiences in the U.S., live coverage will be provided by NBC/Peaco*ck.
SuperSport is the rightsholder for the 2024 Diamond League in most of Africa. Please check your local listings to find out more information.
