Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, the pole vault world record holder, launches the 2026 Diamond League season this weekend at the Shanghai/Keqiao meet. The U.S.-born Swede competes alongside elite athletes including Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, Norway’s Karsten Warholm, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, and Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, setting the stage for an explosive start to the 15-meet series.
Global Series Spans Continents
The Diamond League tour spans four continents and 15 cities, culminating in a two-day final in Brussels on September 4-5. With no Olympic Games or world championships scheduled for 2026, the series offers a $9.24 million prize pool and serves as ideal preparation for World Athletics’ new Ultimate Championships in Budapest from September 11-13.
Diamond League CEO Petr Stastny highlighted the event’s reach: “Competitors from around 100 countries and an ever-growing fanbase on all seven continents make this a truly global series. It delivers reliable, championship-level track and field to athletes and fans worldwide. In the coming years, the series will stay at the forefront of innovation in athlete services and fan engagement, supporting the sport’s sustainable growth.”
No Rival Series This Year
The Diamond League faces no competition from Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track series, which ended after its 2025 debut due to bankruptcy in December, leaving millions in unpaid athlete earnings.
Pole Vault Spotlight on Duplantis
Spotlight falls on Duplantis in a stacked pole vault field featuring Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, who hit 6.17m in Athens in February to rank second all-time. U.S. two-time world champion Sam Kendricks and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall, a double world bronze medalist, also compete.
Unbeaten since 2023, Duplantis set his 15th world record at 6.31m in Sweden earlier this year. The two-time Olympic champion and three-time world gold medalist eyes another record attempt in Monaco, where he now resides. “I feel that a world record is needed, and it would be fantastic if I could achieve that here,” Duplantis stated about his Monaco plans.
Duplantis consistently dominates competitions, making him the clear favorite in Shanghai, with a world record always in reach depending on form and fitness.
Emerging Sprint Stars
Beyond established names like Duplantis, Kipyegon, Warholm, and U.S. Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles, rising talents shine. Jamaica’s first-time world champion Oblique Seville and American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden impressed on the Diamond League circuit before sprint successes last year.
