From Shanghai to Brussels: A Diamond League Season of Champions

The road to the Diamond League crown began in Shanghai/Keqiao and almost four months later the season reached its dramatic conclusion in Brussels.

The 2026 Wanda Diamond League season came to a spectacular close at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme, where the world’s leading athletes battled for Diamond Trophies across two unforgettable nights. With 32 champions crowned and a remarkable collection of record-breaking performances, the Brussels finale provided a fitting conclusion to a season that began with ambition, rivalry and high expectations in China.

For Shanghai/Keqiao, the finale was also a reminder of where the journey began. The Yangtze River Delta Athletics Diamond Gala opened the 2026 Diamond League campaign on May 16, bringing many of the world’s biggest names to the start line and launching the Road to the Final. From that opening meeting in Shanghai/Keqiao, athletes travelled across four continents, collecting points and building momentum as they pursued their place in Brussels.

By the time the series arrived in Belgium, the stakes could not have been higher.

A record-breaking opening night in Brussels

The Wanda Diamond League Final got off to a spectacular start on Friday night as the first 16 champions of the 2026 season were crowned at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme. The evening was marked by six meeting records and two new Diamond League records, with Chase Jackson opening the competition in style by throwing a series-record 21.14m in the women’s shot put. Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi provided a fitting finale, clocking 43.40 in the men’s 400m to break the Diamond League record and claim his first Diamond Trophy. Between those two record-breaking performances came a series of outstanding championship moments: Oblique Seville won the men’s 100m in 9.90, Julien Alfred took the women’s 200m in 21.79, Emmanuel Wanyonyi retained the men’s 800m title in 1:41.80, while Emmanouil Karalis cleared a meeting-record 6.12m in the pole vault. Faith Cherotich, Freweyni Hailu, Ja’Kobe Tharp, Cameron Myers, Tajay Gayle, Mateusz Kołodziejski, Saly Sarr, Feng Bin, Kristjan Čeh and Anna Cockrell completed an action-packed first night that immediately set the tone for a memorable season finale.

A spectacular finish in Brussels
The second night of the final delivered a fitting finale, with a series of outstanding performances and seven meeting records according to the official Diamond League report.

One of the night’s most compelling races came in the women’s 800m. Switzerland’s Audrey Werro produced a superb final lap to take victory in 1:54.75, edging fellow favorite Femke Broeders-Bol by just 0.06 seconds. Werro’s winning performance also lowered a meeting record that had stood since 2008.

There was another record-breaking performance in the men’s 400m hurdles, where Brazil’s Alison dos Santos capped an impressive Diamond League campaign with victory in 46.70. The performance erased a four-decade-old Brussels meeting record and secured dos Santos his third Diamond League title.

The women’s 100m hurdles produced another memorable championship moment. Olympic champion Masai Russell overcame a strong challenge from Devynne Charlton to win in 12.20, setting another meeting record in the process.

Elsewhere, Kenneth Bednarek successfully defended his position at the top of the men’s 200m, winning in 19.62 to equal the world’s fastest time of the year. Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage added another impressive chapter to his season by taking the men’s javelin title with 89.04m, while Marileidy Paulino, Eleanor Patterson, Tina Clayton and a host of other stars also secured Diamond League titles on the final night.

The results reflected the depth and quality of the 2026 season: champions were not simply crowned in Brussels, they were forged over months of competition on the Road to the Final.

From the first race to the final trophy
The Diamond League’s greatest strength is the continuity of its season. Athletes cannot simply arrive in Brussels and produce one great performance. The Final is the culmination of a long campaign in which consistency, competitiveness and the ability to perform against the world’s best all matter.

The athletes crowned in Brussels therefore represent the culmination of months of competition.

For Shanghai/Keqiao, seeing that journey reach its final destination in Brussels is a source of pride. The opening meeting provided the first stage of the 2026 campaign; Brussels provided its grand finale.

And as the champions celebrate, the cycle begins again.
We for one already can´t wait for what’s to come in 2027!