With the World Cup in full swing, pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall is chasing a hat-trick of his own at the Paris Diamond League, where Olympic stars Nina Kennedy and Jessica Hull will add to the Australian firepower this Sunday night.
Marschall (WA, Declan Carruthers) found himself counting his lucky stars after taking down world record holder and Olympic champion Armand Duplantis (SWE) at the Stockholm Diamond League, but winning the Oslo Diamond League just three days later proved the feat was no fluke.
Now arriving in Paris as the in-form man, the two-time World Championships medallist will take flight once again with his 6.00m personal best, with Duplantis leading the charge for revenge in a field that includes Emmanouil Karalis (GRE).
Olympian champion Kennedy (WA, James Fitzpatrick) returns to the city of her greatest triumph after splitting her first two Diamond Leagues of the season with gold in Rabat and silver in Rome.
Kennedy will face three Trans-Tasman rivals including the white-hot Imogen Ayris (NZL) and Eliza McCartney (NZL) who owns the sixth highest jump in global history, along with Angelica Moser (SUI) has also soared over 4.80m in 2026.
Returning to the scene of her 3:50.83 Australian record, the fifth fastest time in global history, Jessica Hull (NSW, Simon Hull) is ready to bounce back after a training block in Saint Moritz – racing the 1500m in Paris alongside Abbey Caldwell (VIC, Gavin Burren) and Linden Hall (VIC, Ned Brophy-Williams).
Caldwell has emerged to lead the Australian women to date on the Diamond League circuit with her maiden win in Xiamen and third place in Shanghai, while Hall drops back down to the distance after a career-best run over 5000m in Rome earlier this month.
Olympic silver medallist Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) is touted as one of the main threats to the Australian trio, along with Freweyni Hailu (ETH) who is a 3:54.16 performer in full flight.
Middle-distance star Cameron Myers (ACT, Dick Telford) is threatening to erupt on the international stage and Paris could be his best opportunity yet, having taken third place in Oslo and second place in Stockholm.
The 20-year-old will take on the 1500m at Stade Charlety which has been home to some of the fastest times in the world in recent years, with his hopes of gunning down Oliver Hoare’s 3:29.41 Australian record resting on his tactical execution.
Standing in the way of the Australian and victory is fellow middle-distance prodigy Niels Laros (NED) and 2023 world champion Jake Wightman (GBR), who he will meet in a month’s time at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Rounding out the middle-distance action, Sarah Billings (VIC, Nic Bideau) will continue her Commonwealth Games preparation over 800m after recently rising to second on the Australian all-time list – meeting rising star Aurey Werro (SUI) and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol-Broeders (NED) in Paris.
The Paris Diamond League can be viewed live and free via the Age of Sport YouTube channel, from 1:00am, Monday June 29.
Full entry lists are available HERE.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 26/6/2026
