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≡ ZURICH DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
The Diamond League concluded for 2025 with the Weltklasse Zurich, with chilly temperatures in the mid-60s, but with cloudy skies as the promised rain held off.
There was considerable drama amid a four-hour program, but good results for the U.S., with wins in the men’s 100, 200, 400, 110 hurdles, women’s 200 m and discus. Here’s what happened:
● Men/100 m: Two-time Worlds bronze winner Trayvon Bromell of the U.S. was in four, South Africa’s Akani Simbine was in five, and 2019 World Champion Christian Coleman in seven. Coleman got his usual hot start, but he didn’t fade and kept the lead right to the line in 9.97 (wind: -0.4 m/s).
Simbine came on and was straining in the last 10 m, but had to settle for second in 9.98, then Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake in 9.99. American Brandon Hicklin was fifth in 10.09 and Bromell was well back in 10.14 for sixth.
Coleman won his third Diamond League seasonal title, but will not be in the Worlds 100, since the U.S. has the 2023 World Champion Noah Lyles as its wild-card entry.
● Men/200 m: Special entry Lyles of the U.S. – a four-time Diamond League winner in this event – was in lane six, with Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo (BOT) outside him in seven.
Off the gun, Tebogo was out brilliantly and had a clear lead on Lyles into the turn. But Lyles kept coming and got even with 60 m left and got to the line first – barely – in the final 2 m in 19.74 (-0.6 m/s), with Tebogo at 19.76.
Dominican Alexander Ogando was a solid third in 20.14, followed by Robert Gregory of the U.S. in fourth (20.20); Kyree King was sixth in 20.43. It was Lyles’ second Diamond League win over Tebogo this year.
● Men/400 m: U.S. champ Jacory Patterson underlined his favorite status for the Tokyo Worlds, pounding the backstraight and rolling away from the field in the final 70 m to win in 43.85 a lifetime best and no. 2 in the world for 2025.
American Chris Bailey was second into the straight, but faded, and Bayapo Ndori (BOT) and Vernon Norwood of the U.S. were close in the final 20 m, with Ndori second at 44.40 and Norwood third in 44.45. Because Patterson is now the Diamond League champion, Norwood – fourth at the USATF nationals – should move up into the 400 m for Tokyo. Bailey was fifth in 44.75.
● Men/800 m: This highly-anticipated race had the Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) and 2023 World Champion Marco Arop (CAN), and Wanyonyi took over from the pacer after a 49.00 first lap.
Wanyonyi led Max Burgin (GBR) and Arop down the back straight and into the turn and Wanyonyi extended his advantage into the straight. But the lead shrank and shrank, with Burgin close and Arop coming hard, but Wanyonyi won at the line: 1:42.37 to 1:42.42 (Burgin) to 1:42.57 (Arop).
Americans Bryce Hoppel and Josh Hoey didn’t have the speed on the straight and finished 7-8 in 1:43.78 and 1:44.25.
● Men/1,500 m: American mile record holder Yared Nuguse had to win to get to the World Championships, and he was third with two laps to go with French star Azeddine Habz leading behind the pacers. Habz led at the bell, with Phanuel Koech (KEN) just behind and then Nuguse.
But Niels Laros (NED), the emerging star of the event, tore into contention on the backstraight and blew away the field on the straight, winning in 3:29.20, a meet record. On the straight, Nuguse faded and Kenya’s Reynold Cheruiyot rolled into second in the final 60 m (3:29.91), then Koech (3:30.02) and four-time Diamond League champ Timothy Cheruiyot (3:30.13).
Habz was fifth was 3:30.39 and Nuguse was seventh in 3:30.84.
● Men/3,000 m: The pace was strong, with Biniam Mehary (ETH) and George Mills (GBR) taking over after the pacers and then Wengene Adisu (ETH) leading at 2,000 m. At 800 m to go, it was Sam Tefera (ETH) and Mills in front, with Grant Fisher (USA) coming into second at 500 m left.
Mills, Fisher and Swede Andreas Almgren were leading the pack with 250 m to go but there was a lot of traffic around the turn and into the home straight with Fisher bumped by Mehary. French star Jimmy Gressier came up with most speed on the straight and withstood the charge from Fisher right at the line, 7:36.78 to 7:36.81, with Almgren at 7:36.82.
American Graham Blanks was sixth in 7:38.15.
● Men/Steeple: None of the Paris medalists were here, so this was a wide-open race. Kenyan Edmund Serem took over from the pacer at 2,000 m, ahead of German Frederik Ruppert. Ruppert led at the bell and he and Serem ran away from the field.
Off the final water jump, Serem charged, but Ruppert was able to hang on and was thrilled to win in 8:09.02, ahead of Serem (8:09.96). Morocco’s Salahheddine ben Yazide moved hard on the straight to get third at 8:14.10. Isaac Updike of the U.S. was sixth in 8:19.47.
● Men/110 m hurdles: It’s been Cordell Tinch’s year, the U.S. champion and world leader at 12.87. And he was out fast and dominated, winning in 12.92 (+0.3), equaling the ancient meet record of two-time Olympic champ Roger Kingdom of the U.S. from 1989!
The race for second was tight, with Spain’s Eugene Llopis running strongly in lane two, timing 13.12 to edge Jamal Britt (13.21), with fellow Americans Freddie Crittenden (13.23) and Trey Cunningham (13.32) in 5-6.
● Men/400 m hurdles: World-record holder – and 2025 world leader – Karsten Warholm (NOR) was in seven, and made up the stagger on CJ Allen of the U.S. by the third hurdle.
He led right to the finish in 46.70, a meet record, with 2019 Worlds bronze winner Abderrahmane Samba (QAT) a clear second in 47.45, then NCAA champ Ezekiel Nathaniel (NGR: 47.56). Allen was fourth in 48.00 with Trevor Bassitt sixth in 48.29.
● Men/High Jump: Only three made it to 2.28 m (7-5 3/4), with European Indoor champ Oleg Doroshchuk (UKR) making it on his first try, as did Olympic champ Hamish Kerr (NZL). American JuVaughn Harrison made 2.25 m (7-4 1/2) on his third try, but missed all three at 2.28 and finished third. Olympic silver winner Shelby McEwen of the U.S. was sixth at 2.13 m (7-0).
The bar went to 2.30 m (7-6 1/2) and Kerr got over on his second and Doroshchuk on his third. On to 2.32 m (7-7 1/4), and Kerr cleared right away and Doroshchuk passed to 2.34 m (7-8). Both missed their first tries and Doroshchuk missed again, so Kerr took the win and his first Diamond League crown.
● Men/Triple Jump: Portugal’s Tokyo Olympic champ Pedro Pablo Pichardo got to the lead right away at 17.47 m (57-3 3/4), with 2024 World Indoor runner-up Yasser Triki (ALG) right behind at 17.42 m (57-2). It didn’t hold, as Italy’s Olympic bronzer Andy Diaz popped to 17.56 m (57-7 1/2) in round four, and that turned out to be the winner!
It’s the third career Diamond League title for Diaz, who won his first while still jumping as a Cuban in 2022 and then he won as an Italian in 2023.
● Men/Discus: World-record holder Mykolas Alekna (LTU) got out in front right away at 68.29 m (224-0) in the first round and extended to 68.89 (226-0) in round three. That was good enough to win, with 2022 Worlds winner Kristjian Ceh (SLO) moving up in the fifth round to 67.18 m (220-5), finishing second with Olympic winner Roje Stona (JAM: 67.06 m/220-0).
It’s Alekna’s first Diamond League title.
● Men/Javelin: German star Julian Weber has been hot and he was on fire with a sensational, world-leading 91.37 m (299-9) in round one! And he was better in round two, to 91.51 m (300-2)!
London 2012 Olympic champ Keshorn Walcott (TTO) has been resurgent and reached 84.95 m (278-8) in the first round, followed by Tokyo Olympic champ Neeraj Chopra (IND: 84.35 m/276-9) in the top three.
● Women/100 m: Olympic champ Julien Alfred (LCA) was in lane four, but Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV) clearly jumped on the first start, but remained to run under protest.
On the re-start, Jamaica’s Tia Clayton was out best and had the lead until Alfred moved well at 50 m and ran to the finished unchallenged in 10.76 (+0.3), with Clayton at 10.84. Ta Lou-Smith was (amazingly) reinstated by the jury and got third at 10.92. Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) was fourth at 10.94, then American Jacious Sears at 10.96 in fifth. Fellow American Maia McCoy was seventh in 11.14.
● Women/200 m: Four Americans in the final, along with 2019 World Champion Asher-Smith in lane four.
And she was out best, rolling around the turn and leading into the turn, but then Olympic bronzer Brittany Brown of the U.S. moved up just outside her and got the lead with 70 m left. Asher-Smith challenged again, but Brown was ready and crossed in 22.13 (-0.4), a seasonal best. She also ran herself onto the U.S. Worlds team, as she was fourth at the USATF nationals.
Asher-Smith was second in 22.18, then Ta Lou-Smith in 22.25 and American Anavia Battle at 22.49. Jenna Prandini was sixth in 22.70 and McKenzie Long was eighth in 22.72.
● Women/400 m: Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser has been the world leader at 48.67 at the first Grand Slam Track meet in April, and was out hard, leading Paris champ Marileidy Paulino (DOM) into the straight by about 3 m. But where Paulino usually closes in, Naser ran away to win impressively in 48.70, with Paulino well back at 49.23. Norway’s Henriette Jaeger came on to close up on Paulino on the straight and was third in 49.49; Bella Whittaker of the U.S. was sixth in 49.99.
● Women/800 m: The Swiss home crowd was all in for Audrey Werro, who moved to no. 2 in the world with her 1:56.29 national record at the national championships. She took over from the pacer just after the bell and simply would not be passed.
She led Paris 1,500 m bronzer Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) into the home straight and held on for a tight, but thrilling win in 1:55.91, another national record. Hunter Bell got a lifetime best of 1:55.96 in second, then Anais Bourgoin (FRA: 1:56.97) with a lifetime best for third.
Addy Wiley of the U.S. was eighth in 1:59.14.
● Women/1,500 m: Paris silver medalist Jess Hull (AUS) was the leader after the pacer left the race and had the lead at the bell, then moved away from Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir. Her lead was 5 m with 300 to go and 10 m by 200 left.
But Chepchirchir didn’t fade and came on hard on the home straight and closed on Hull, who was failing badly in the final 50 m. And Chepchirchir got the stunning win at the line in 3:56.99, with Hull at 3:57.02. Australian teammate Linden Hall was third, also with a hard stretch run, at 3:57.44.
American Sinclaire Johnson was fourth in 3:57.80, with teammate Heather Maclean next in 3:59.43.
● Women/3,000 m: Ethiopia’s Aleshign Baweke had the lead in a bunched field with two laps left, including American Josette Andrews. Andrews took over with 600 m left and led Caroline Nyaga (KEN) at the bell.
Andrews, third at the USATF 5,000 m, fought off two challenges on the backstraight and Nyaga tracked her into the straight, but it was Baweke who had the speed and got in front with 80 m left and won 8:40.56, with Andrews at 8:40.95. Amebaw came back to get third in 8:41.06, with Nyaga fading to seventh in 8:43.43.
● Women/Steeple: With four laps to go, Olympic bronzer Faith Cherotich was following the pacer, with Norah Jeruto (KEN) 10 m back. But it was all Cherotich as she lengthened her lead to more than 40 m at the bell and rolling to the line with the victory in 8:57.24.
Jeruto ran in second, mostly by herself, for the last three and a half laps, was a clear second in 9:10.87, then Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani. American Courtney Wayment got fourth in 9:14.81, with Gabi Jennings sixth in 9:15.56 and Olivia Markezich in seventh in 9:22.20.
● Women/100 m hurdles: Jamaican star Ackera Nugent, the World Indoor bronzer, came on powerfully in the middle of the race and got control, rushing to the finish in 12.30 (-0.6 m/s), equaling her seasonal best. She broke away from American Grace Stark, but the surprise came in lane seven, with Swiss star Dita Kumbundji coming on in the final 20 m for second in 12.40, followed by Stark (12.44).
Tonea Marshall of the U.S. was sixth in 12.49, with Keni Harrison eighth in 12.72.
● Women/400m hurdles: Dutch star Femke Bol came in with four straight Diamond League titles, and was out well, making up the staggers on the two lanes outside of her by 180 m.
She was 4 m up on the field over the ninth hurdle and won in a breeze in 52.18 in 65 F temperatures. Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova got a national record of 53.18 in second; Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight was third in 53.76.
● Women/Long Jump: Italy’s European Indoor champ Larissa Iapichino took the lead in round three at 6.93 m (22-9), passing Tokyo Olympic champ Malaika Mihambo (GER), who started at 6.81 m (22-4 1/4) in round one. Mihambo saved her best for round six and got to 6.92 m (22-8 1/2), but fell just short. Iapichino won her second straight Diamond League title.
France’s Hilary Kpatcha took third at 6.75 m (22-1 3/4), with World Indoor champ Claire Bryant of the U.S. fourth in 6.66 m (21-10 1/4), and teammate Monae Nichols sixth in 6.45 m (21-2).
● Women/Triple Jump: Cuba completely dominated, with defending champion Leyanis Perez taking the leads at 14.91 m (48-11) in round two, followed by Liadagamis Povea at 14.72 m (48-3 1/2) from round two and Davisleydis Velazco at 14.65 m (48-0 3/4) in round three. That’s how it ended.
American Jasmine Moore, the Olympic bronze winner, was sixth at 14.24 m (46-8 3/4).
● Women/Discus: Olympic champ Valarie Allman entered with a 27-meet win streak and got to the lead in round two at 66.12 m (216-11). Then she unloaded in round for at 69.18 m (227-0) to grab another win and her fifth straight Diamond League title.
Jorinde van Klinken (NED) moved into second on her final throw of 67.15 m (), followed by Yaime Perez (CUB: 66.08 m/). Americans Cierra Jackson (64.40 m/211-3) and defending World Champion Lagi Tausaga (63.51 m/208-4) were 5-6.
● Women/Javelin: Greece’s 2022 European champion Elina Tzenggo got out to 64.57 m (211-10) in the first round, with two-time European silver winner Adriana Vilagos (SRB) getting up for second in round three at 62.96 m (206-7).
South Africa’s Paris Olympic runner-up Jo-Ane du Plessis reached 62.26 m (204-3) in the first round and that held up for third.
All eyes now turn to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN) from 13-21 September.
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