The Diamond League is back for 2026 and so too are a host of Australian athletics stars including Jessica Hull, Matthew Denny and Kurtis Marschall, while Lachlan Kennedy and Torrie Lewis are poised to deliver another statement in the nation’s sprinting rise.
The first meeting of a 15-strong series will take place in Shanghai this Saturday, marking the return of the world’s premier athletics circuit which will culminate in Brussels this September, with athletes competing for increased prize money and ranking points in 2026.
Leading the charge in China will be Australia’s middle-distance women who occupy five of the 15 positions in the Women’s 1500m, headed by Olympic silver medallist Hull (NSW, Simon Hull) alongside rising star Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC, Craig Mottram), Abbey Caldwell (VIC, Gavin Burren), Linden Hall (VIC, Ned Brophy-Willaims) and Sarah Billings (VIC, Nic Bideau).
The fifth fastest woman in history at 3:50.83, Hull resumes battle with Dorcus Ewoi (KEN) who beat her to the silver at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, while Hollingsworth steps up to her first 1500m race on the Diamond League circuit.
The race features five of the six Australian women in history to have shattered four minutes in the event, with only Georgia Griffith missing, while the middle-distance action will roll on with Peter Bol (WA, Justin Rinaldi) and Luke Boyes (NSW, Ben St Lawrence) in the Men’s 800m – Bol the third fastest man in the field at 1:42.55 behind Ben Pattison (GBR) and Wyclife Kinyamal (KEN).
A pair of global powerhouses will hit the field as Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny (QLD, Dale Stevenson) prepares for the Men’s Discus Throw and six-metre man Kurtis Marschall (WA, Declan Carruthers) hits the runway for the Men’s Pole Vault.
The number two thrower in global history, Denny will go head-to-head with the in-from Steven Richter (GER) after defeating him by four centimetres in Oklahoma last month, while Marschall will face world record holder Mondo Duplantis (SWE) for the 55th time of his career along with the rising Emmanouil Karalis (GRE).
All eyes will be on sub-10 second sprinter Lachlan Kennedy (QLD, Andrew Iselin) and national record holder Torrie Lewis (QLD, Laurent Meuwly) after a historic World Athletics Relays campaign saw Australia return as the only country to qualify all six teams for the 2027 World Athletics Championships.
A historic year has already seen Kennedy clock two 9.96-second performances at the Australian Athletics Championships where he won his first national title, now meeting a star-studded field including Letsile Tebogo (BOT), Kenneth Bednarek (USA) and Akani Simbine (RSA).
Lewis opened her outdoor season in emphatic fashion in 2025 when winning the Xiamen Diamond League 200m over champion sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson.
Rounding out the main program action is Seth O’Donnell (VIC, Andrew Russell) and Cara Feain-Ryan (QLD, Ben Norton) who will contest the Men’s 3000m and Women’s 3000m Steeplechase respectively, O’Donnell earning his Diamond League debut.
Long jumper Liam Adcock (NSW, self-coached) will feature in the opening event of the night where he will meet the world’s best once again despite no Diamond League points being up for grabs, which is also the case for Rose Davies (NSW, Scott Westcott) and Maudie Skyring (VIC, Craig Mottram) in the Women’s 5000m.
A live stream will be available from 8:00pm AEST, Saturday May 16, with Australian Athletics to provide more information when available from the Diamond League.
Full entry lists are available HERE.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 14/5/2026
