Simbine Opens 2026 Diamond League Campaign in Shanghai/Keqiao
South Africa’s Akani Simbine will launch his 2026 Wanda Diamond League season in the men’s 100m at the Shanghai/Keqiao opener, chasing what would be his 13th career series victory.
Despite never having won the overall Diamond League title, Simbine has established himself as one of the most consistent sprinters in recent years, including a dramatic photo-finish win over Kishane Thompson in Keqiao last season.
He will be joined by a star-studded cast of sprinting greats.
Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, Olympic and world silver medallist, and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, the reigning Olympic 200m champion, headline the field as they both seek their first Diamond League crown.
The line-up also features reigning Diamond League 100m champion Christian Coleman, world number three Kenneth Bednarek, 2022 title winner Trayvon Bromell, and rising talent Gift Leotla.
Bednarek, who stunned Tebogo in Brussels in 2024, adds further intrigue to a clash brimming with championship pedigree.
The Shanghai/Keqiao meeting marks the opening leg of the 2026 Diamond League, which will span four continents and 15 cities before culminating in the two-day final in Brussels on September 4-5.
