With the countdown to the 2025 Wanda Diamond League Final ticking ever closer, the race to Zurich is heating up. Just three meetings remain on the calendar, and already 48 elite athletes have secured their spots at one of the most prestigious events in global track and field.
Set for August 27–28, this year’s Diamond League Final will unfold over two dramatic days. The action begins in the heart of Zurich city, where five champions will be crowned during a dynamic Wednesday evening session. The spotlight then shifts to Letzigrund Stadium for a blockbuster Thursday night, featuring 28 fiercely contested events.
With a record-breaking prize purse of USD 2.24 million up for grabs, the 2025 finale promises high-stakes performances and electric atmospheres.
The Zurich showdown offers athletes a vital opportunity to fine-tune form and fuel momentum ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September. But qualification is strictly merit-based, only the season’s most consistent and outstanding performers earn the right to compete for the Diamond Trophy.
Early Birds Shine Bright
Although most athletes punch their Zurich tickets during the final weeks of the season, a handful have stood out with dominant early-season performances.
Kenya’s Edmund Serem and Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu locked in their spots in the men’s 3000m steeplechase as early as the fourth meet in Rabat.
Beatrice Chebet, another Kenyan standout, blazed through her qualifying campaign with wins in Xiamen, Rabat, and Rome by early June.
Similarly, early-season victories catapulted sprinters like South Africa’s Akani Simbine, high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, hurdler Cordell Tinch, and Norwegian 400m hurdle titan Karsten Warholm into early qualification.
Reigning Champions Assert Authority
For some athletes, Diamond League dominance has become second nature. Pole vault king Mondo Duplantis has reaffirmed his supremacy in 2025, racking up six consecutive wins to stroll into the final.
Discus queen Valarie Allman and the unshakable Femke Bol have continued their relentless pursuit of perfection, Allman is five-for-five this season, while Bol remains unbeaten in 28 Diamond League appearances, including four wins this year.
Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the reigning 800m champion, overcame a third-place finish in Rabat to deliver four straight wins, confirming his status as a major title contender.
Sprint sensation Julien Alfred of St. Lucia, the reigning Olympic and Diamond League 100m champion, has also impressed with victories in Oslo, Stockholm, and Monaco.
Despite the dominance of familiar names, the 2025 season has delivered its fair share of breakout stories. Australian long jumper Liam Adcock celebrated his first-ever Diamond League victory in Rome, and followed it up with a qualification-clinching performance in London.
Ireland’s Sarah Healy stunned the field in the Rome 1500m, finally tasting victory in her 15th Diamond League appearance. Meanwhile, British high jumper Morgan Lake thrilled the home crowd in London with her maiden win and a ticket to Zurich.
Still All to Play For
Even with 48 athletes locked in, the Road to the Final remains wide open. Major names are still chasing qualification, including Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles. Despite winning the 200m in Monaco and the 100m in London, Lyles needs more points in both events to cement his place in Zurich.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo has already booked his 200m final slot but is hovering just outside the 100m qualification bubble, sitting ninth in the standings. Kenyan distance icon Faith Kipyegon, fresh off a new 1500m world record in Eugene, has yet to secure her own place in the final, as she eyes a potential sixth career Diamond Trophy.
With three qualifying events to go and the stakes at an all-time high, the Road to Zurich promises thrilling battles and nail-biting finishes.
