Enekwechi Opens 2026 Diamond League Campaign in Xiamen
African Shot Put record holder, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, will open his 2026 Diamond League campaign in Xiamen, China on Saturday when the event makes its second of scheduled 15 stops.
The Nigerian, 33, will be seeking to amass the points that will see him make his third straight final in the competition after finishing sixth in 2024 and fifth in 2025.
Enekwechi missed the chance to win a historic fourth straight African Senior Athletics Championships Shot Put title in Accra and will hope to make a statement in Xiamen.
The Nigerian holds a 21.74m personal season’s best and will need to throw farther than that and near or better than his 22.10m African record to finish in the top three in Xiamen in an event that has already seen three athletes throw over 22m, and he will be facing all three in the beautiful Chinese city.
Italian Fabbri Leonardo holds the world lead at 22.50m, and American duo Roger Steen (22.07m) and Jordan Geist (22.04m).
Aside from Enekwechi, there will be another Nigerian presence in Xiamen as sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan seeks her first win in the series after running 12.41 to place third in the opener in Shanghai/Kepaio.
Amusan will run from lane three on Saturday, sandwiched between two Jamaicans: two-time world champion and close friend Danielle Williams inside, and Ackera Nugent outside in lane four.
Reigning Olympic champion in the event, Masai Russell, who ran 12.25 to win last week, world indoor champion and record holder Devynee Charlton, who was second in Shanghai/Kepaio, and reigning world champion Ditaji Kambundji are also on the start list.
