Diamond League meets have strong Aussie presence

It’s been a huge year for Australian athletes in the Diamond League so far, and they are set to finish with a bang as the 2026 season nears its’ end.

There will be two Diamond League events this weekend, Lausanne in Switzerland which kicks off Friday morning Australian time with the men’s pole vault, and in Silesia, Poland, which runs over two nights starting Saturday night Australian time. 

DIAMOND LEAGUE EVENTS TO WATCH IN LAUSANNE AND SILESIA

Men’s and Women’s Pole Vault, Women’s Javelin

Australia’s Kurtis Marschall (WA, Declan Carruthers) and Nina Kennedy (WA, James Fitzpatrick) have both had brilliant Diamond League seasons so far.

Marschall jumps in Lausanne early Friday morning Australian time (2am) with nothing to lose, having won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow, and two Diamond League wins this year In Stockholm and Oslo.

He is the only Australian who will compete at both Lausanne and Silesia events this weekend.

While Kennedy won in Rabat and Monaco, was second in Rome, and third in Paris.

Kennedy has this year returned from injury, straight to the top of the podium and broke the Australian record in Monaco with a jump of 4.95m.

“I genuinely believe that I can jump 5m and I know if everything aligns I can do it,” she said after winning in Monaco.

“I still have a lot of competitions for the rest of the season. 

“It´s my goal, it’s my team’s goal. 

“Project 5m is here.”

Javelin

New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete Mackenzie Little (NSW, Angus McEntyre) will be the only other Australian competing in Lausanne, coming off the back of her win in the javelin in Glasgow.

Women’s 1500m

The depth in the Australia’s women’s 1500m will be on show yet again in Silesia, we are spoilt for choice. 

Sarah Billings (VIC, Nic Bideau), Linden Hall (VIC, Ned Brophy-Williams), Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC, Craig Mottram)  and Jessica Hull (NSWIS, Simon Hull/pictured)  will line up on Monday morning Australian time. 

Abbey Caldwell (VIC, Gavin Burren) returned home to Melbourne after the Commonwealth Games and won’t be on the lineup in Poland. 

Hull, who has already qualified for the 1500m Diamond League final, will be gunning for her second Diamond League win in a row, albeit at a different distance.

She won the 3000m in London in July.

“I have tried really hard to win here over the last few years, so getting the chance to come into the race as one of the favourites and then to go on and win is very special,” she said after the London race. 

Women’s 5000m

Rose Davies (NSWIS, Scott Westcott) and Lauren Ryan (VIC, Lara Rogers)  will compete in the women’s 5000m in Poland, Davies competing for the first time since she won two gold medals in Glasgow. 

She is ready to have a real crack at the 5000m and her confidence is running high. 

Billings said it’s a great thing to be part of an Australian team of middle and long distance runners who are doing so well on the world stage, as they are all constantly pushing each other. 

“I’m lucky to have both Georgia (Griffth) and Sarah (Billings) as my training partners, and seeing how hard they work makes me want to work just as hard,” she said. 

Men’s Discus Throw

Matt Denny (QLD, Dale Stevenson) is one of most consistent performers in Australian Athletics, and comes into the Silesia Diamond League fresh after defending his Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow.

He has already qualified for the Diamond League finals in Brussels in September, with only Czech thrower Kristjan Ceh ahead of him in the standings.

He has had a very consistent year in the Diamond League, winning in Doha, and second in Stockholm and Shanghai.

Women’s High Jump

NSWIS pair Eleanor Patterson (Fuzz Caan/Marco Fassinotti) and Nicola Olyslagers (NSW, Matt Horsnell) both have had brilliant years, and no doubt that will continue in Poland on Monday morning, Australian time. 

Patterson leads the Diamond League standings with 17 points, and Olyslagers sits in seventh with 8 points. 

Olyslagers has only competed in one Diamond League this year, in London last month, which she won. 

Men’s 100m

In the men’s 100 Australian Lachlan Kennedy (QLD, Andrew Iselin)  will first race in one of two heads in Silesia, and just to  make the final will be something special.

Kennedy is ranked 16th in the world going into the 100m over the weekend.

He will compete against some superstars of the sport, including Jamaican Oblique Seville, American Kenneth Bednarek, and Nigerian Kayinsola Ajayi.

Diamond League Fields:

For Lausanne HERE

For Silesia HERE

Luke Dennehy, Australian Athletics