The 2026 Diamond League Final begins in Brussels tonight, with 16 champions to be crowned during the opening evening at the King Baudouin Stadium.
There will be no Irish athlete in action. Mark English had qualified for the men's 800m final, but the European champion has opted to skip Brussels and concentrate on next week's World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
The first night still offers a cracking programme, with Mondo Duplantis facing Emmanouil Karalis in the pole vault, Emmanuel Wanyonyi meeting Marco Arop over 800m and Jakob Ingebrigtsen taking on Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse in the 1500m.
No Irish Athletes in Action Tonight
English secured seventh place in the Diamond League standings after winning in Shaoxing in a meeting record of 1:43.85 and lowering his personal best to 1:42.97 when finishing second in London.
Those results earned him a place in tonight's men's 800m final. However, his training group Fast8 Track Club confirmed last month that he would miss Brussels to give himself a clear run into the Ultimate Championship, which begins in Budapest on September 11th.
His withdrawal leaves Ireland without a representative on the opening night of the Diamond League Final.
Major Match Ups to Look Forward to in Brussels
The men's pole vault could provide the contest of the night. Duplantis is chasing a sixth successive Diamond League title, but Karalis has pushed him closer than anyone this season. The Greek athlete cleared 6.16m in Lausanne before raising his personal best to 6.20m in Zurich and taking three attempts at a world record height of 6.32m.
The men's 800m would have included English, but it remains a serious race without him. Wanyonyi arrives after running a world leading 1:41.76 in Zurich and is seeking a fourth straight Diamond Trophy. Marco Arop, Djamel Sedjati and Ben Pattison are among those attempting to deny him.
The men's 1500m brings another meeting between Ingebrigtsen, Hocker and Nuguse. Hocker won in Zurich last week, while Ingebrigtsen is still building momentum following an Achilles injury which interrupted his season. With no points carried into the final, it all comes down to one race in Brussels.
Julien Alfred leads the women's 200m after clocking a personal best of 21.51 in Monaco this summer. European champion Amy Hunt provides the main opposition, with Anavia Battle and Kayla White also included in the field.
The men's 100m features world champion Oblique Seville against Kayinsola Ajayi, Christian Coleman, Trayvon Bromell, Akani Simbine, Emmanuel Eseme and Lachlan Kennedy. Seville is attempting to become the latest Jamaican winner of a Diamond League sprint title.
What Is at Stake in the Diamond League Final?
Qualification was earned through points collected during the regular season, but those points no longer matter once the final begins. The winner of each event in Brussels takes the Diamond Trophy.
There is also an automatic place at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship available to each Diamond League champion. If the winner has already qualified for Budapest, that invitation can pass to the highest placed athlete who has not yet secured a place.
Tonight's Full Televised Programme
All times below are Irish time.
⏰ 6.59pm – Men's Pole Vault
⏰ 7.04pm – Women's 400m Hurdles
⏰ 7.09pm – Men's High Jump
⏰ 7.14pm – Men's 100m
⏰ 7.23pm – Women's 3000m Steeplechase
⏰ 7.37pm – Men's Discus
⏰ 7.42pm – Men's 800m
⏰ 7.48pm – Women's Triple Jump
⏰ 7.55pm – Men's 110m Hurdles
⏰ 8.03pm – Women's 5000m
⏰ 8.26pm – Men's 1500m
⏰ 8.41pm – Women's 200m
⏰ 8.52pm – Men's 400m
📄 Start Lists
📺 TV Coverage: IE – Virgin Media Three – 7pm to 9pm | UK – BBC Three – 7pm to 9pm
📺 Streaming Link: IE – Virgin Media Play | UK – BBC iPlayer
📊 Results
