Ajayi, Amusan Chase $60,000 Jackpot As Ezekiel Eyes $30,000 In Diamond League Final
Kanyinsola Ajayi and Tobi Amusan could each pocket $60,000 if they win their respective events at this weekend’s Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium, while fellow Nigerian Nathaniel Ezekiel stands to earn $30,000 if he triumphs in his event.
The lucrative prize-money opportunities emerged following the release of the 2026 Diamond League Final payment structure, which shows that winners of Diamond+ disciplines will receive $60,000, compared with $30,000 for winners of the standard Diamond disciplines.
The prize money is gender-equal, meaning the difference is determined by the classification of the event and not by the athlete’s gender.
Ajayi will line up in the men’s 100m, having established himself as one of the major revelations of the Diamond League season. The Nigerian speedster has already recorded impressive victories on the circuit and arrives in Brussels with genuine hopes of adding the Diamond League Final title to his breakthrough season.
Amusan, meanwhile, will contest the women’s 100m hurdles, an event in which she has been one of the world’s leading performers for several seasons. The former world champion and world-record holder will be seeking another major Diamond League success as she battles a strong field in Brussels.
Ezekiel will compete in the men’s 400m hurdles, where he will also be chasing victory and a potentially significant financial reward. Unlike Ajayi and Amusan, whose events are among the designated Diamond+ disciplines, Ezekiel’s event carries the standard $30,000 winner’s prize at the Final.
The three Nigerians therefore have a combined potential payday of $150,000 if all three win their respective events.
The 2026 Wanda Diamond League season will distribute approximately $18 million in prize money to athletes, excluding additional investment in travel, transportation, accommodation, medical services and physiotherapy.
Each Diamond League meeting features eight Diamond+ disciplines, with athletes in those events receiving higher prize money. Winners of Diamond+ disciplines earn up to $20,000 at series meetings and $60,000 at the Final, while winners of the standard Diamond disciplines receive $10,000 at series meetings and $30,000 at the Final.
