The 2026 Wanda Diamond League season continued in spectacular fashion in Xiamen as two athletes produced performances that shook the athletics world during the second stop of the Diamond League tour.
USA’s Masai Russell and China’s teenage sensation Yan Ziyi both rewrote the Diamond League record books with extraordinary displays that instantly became among the greatest performances in track and field history.
Yan electrified the home crowd in the women’s javelin with a stunning opening-round throw of 71.74m — the second-longest throw ever recorded and a new Asian, World U20 and Diamond League record. The 18-year-old needed just one attempt to secure victory before choosing to end her competition early after a historic breakthrough.
Only world record holder Barbora Špotáková has ever thrown farther. Yan’s mark immediately confirmed her as one of the brightest young stars in global athletics and one of the headline names to watch as the Diamond League season moves to Shanghai.
The night closed with another breathtaking moment as Olympic champion Russell stormed to 12.14 in the women’s 100m hurdles, the second-fastest time in history and just 0.02 shy of the world record. The American star improved her own Diamond League record and further established herself as the woman to beat in 2026.
Russell defeated a world-class field that included world record holder Tobi Amusan and Bahamian star Devynne Charlton, underlining the exceptional level of competition already seen this season.
Elsewhere in Xiamen, Brazil’s Alison dos Santos claimed a commanding victory in the men’s 400m hurdles ahead of world record holder Karsten Warholm, while Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson continued her strong return to form with victory in the women’s 200m.
In the men’s 100m, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala powered to victory in 9.94, reversing the result from Shanghai one week earlier and reinforcing the incredible depth in global sprinting this season.
The Wanda Diamond League now moves to Rabat Diamond League on May 31, where many of the sport’s biggest stars will once again go head-to-head in one of the most anticipated meetings of the season.