Shanghai/Keqiao Diamond League: Eid Naser vs Adeleke Headlines Star-Studded 400m Field
Nigeria-Born Rivals Renew 400m Battle in Diamond League Opener
The opening leg of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League promises fireworks in Shanghai/Keqiao, China on May 16, as two Nigeria-born athletes headline a stacked women’s 400m field.
Salwa Eid Naser, representing Bahrain, and Rhasidat Adeleke, competing for Ireland, will renew their rivalry that began at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Eid Naser currently leads their head-to-head clashes 3-1, but Adeleke arrives in China in blistering form after setting a new Irish 300m record of 36.30 seconds.
Eid Naser, born Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu before switching allegiance from Nigeria, is yet to compete this season and may open her campaign in Keqial.
Adeleke, meanwhile, is determined to kick-start her year with a statement victory against her familiar rival.
The race, however, is not just about the two Nigerian-born stars. Seven other world-class athletes are confirmed for the event.
Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce, a 2025 World Championship finalist, will look to add the Shanghai/Keqiao 400m to her London Diamond League triumph in 2024, where she clocked 48.57 seconds, a lifetime best and Jamaican record.
Britain’s Amber Anning, the 2025 World Indoor 400m champion, is also in the mix, alongside Chile’s Martina Weil, the American duo of Aliyah Butler and Alexis Holmes, Cuba’s Romania Gomez, and Barbados’ Sada Williams.
