With one day to go until the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, several of the event’s biggest stars spoke to the media on Friday afternoon.
There is much anticipation around the rematch between Karsten Warholm and Alison dos Santos in the 400m hurdles, following their clash over 300m hurdles in Shanghai/Keqiao last weekend. Dos Santos edged Warholm to victory there, 33.01 to 33.05, and there will likely be little between them when they renew their rivalry in Xiamen.
“Obviously I wanted to win, but it was a tough race,” said Warholm. “I really picked it up in the last 100m. It was the first race of the season, which is always kicking the rust [off] a bit, but it was a nice race. I feel like I’m en route.”
Dos Santos, a two-time Diamond League champion, was pleased with his win, given it showed the improvement he’s made in the speed department this year. “One thing I need to remember, I’m kind of young, 25, and my body is getting used to running faster,” he said. “It took me years to learn how to actually do a speed workout and get a little bit faster.”
His ambition on Saturday?
“I want to have a clean race, go out there, have fun, enjoy myself, experience everything. It’s my first time running the 400m hurdles [this year], the 300m showed I’m in a good place. I know I can start a little bit faster than I was doing before. I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Cordell Tinch was pleased with his first Diamond League of the season last weekend, finishing second in the 110m hurdles in 13.10, but the world and Diamond League champion will hope to go one better in Xiamen.
“Going into last week, there were a lot of question marks over where I was so to run 13.10, I didn’t expect to run that fast,” he said. “There were a lot of things technically that I needed to be better in the back half of my race. I started well, I didn’t finish well, so to run 13.10 this early, I’m excited for what I can do tomorrow.”
Tinch then turned the focus to Warholm and Dos Santos and pitched a 200m hurdles race between them down the line, with Xiamen meeting director Rune Stenersen adding that he’d be happy to arrange it at this meeting next year. “We’re waiting for you,” Dos Santos told Tinch. “Put the race on. We’ll be ready.”
Olympic 100m hurdles champion Masai Russell made an explosive start to the Diamond League season last weekend, blasting to victory in Keqiao in 12.25 and after a frustrating end to the 2025 season, she’s looking back to her very best in 2026.
“I struggled with some doubt last year, coming from being the Olympic champion and trying to prove to everybody else who I was, rather than just operating in the realm of who I know I am,” she said. “I know the things that I can do.”
She will take on a loaded field in Xiamen that includes world record holder Tobi Amusan, world champion Ditaji Kambundji, world indoor champion Devynne Charlton and two-time world champion Danielle Williams.
One of the expected highlights of the meeting will be the men’s shot put, which features the return of three-time Olympic champion and world record holder Ryan Crouser, who’s chasing the 17th victory of his career at a Diamond League.
It’s his first competition in eight months since he claimed the world title in Tokyo last September and Crouser said much has changed since then. “I moved to Nashville, Tennessee,” he said. “I started a training group, I’m continuing to coach Roje Stona, Nick Ponzio.”
He said “training has been hit and miss” and that “there’s been some really good indicators, some things that have been slow to come together. The pieces are there, now it’s more a matter of putting them together.”
Crouser said his recovery from an elbow injury has been “up and down, unfortunately not just a linear healing progression. I’m still working around that, trying to get it all the way healthy, and gaining my confidence back has been the last part to come.”
Mattia Furlani opened his season with a bang in Keqiao last weekend, the Italian world long jump champion setting a personal best of 8.43m and claiming the first Diamond League win of his career with a jump that was just shy of Andrew Howe’s Italian record of 8.47m.
Is that on his mind this weekend?
“For sure,” he said. “Every time I have a goal for motivation and to try give the best for myself. This is one of them and the goal is to reach that record.”
Valarie Sion (nee Allman) has had a name change since winning her fifth straight Diamond League title last year, the two-time Olympic discus champion getting married earlier this year. She’s been throwing as well as ever since then, launching a world lead of 73.10m in Ramona last month.
“I love the Xiamen meeting, it’s truly one of my favourites on the circuit,” she said. “I love the stadium, the energy.”
Sion said 2026 “feels like the first time I’ve been able to take a really deep breath”, adding: “I had big goals and expectations the last five years and it’s been nice to get married this spring and take some time to reset. I put some really good work in these last five weeks and I’m excited to really attack these upcoming Diamond League meetings.”
Jamaican star Shericka Jackson will take on another loaded field in the women’s 200m in Xiamen, the two-time world champion defeating a similar line-up last weekend in Keqiao, clocking 22.07.
“Last week I executed very well, my fastest opener since 2023,” she said. “It felt good to be out there competing healthy. Last year I rushed myself a little because I wanted to defend my [world] title in the 200m, that didn’t happen, but it was a pat on the shoulder. This year, we focused on me not rushing the season.
“I did a pretty good job last week and I love competing with fast girls. I executed properly, but there’s a little tweak to do tomorrow.”
Many top Chinese stars will be in action in front of a large home crowd, among them Feng Bin, the discus-throwing star who won at this meeting in 2023. “I do not have any specific goal for tomorrow,” she said. “After the National Games I took some time off and for tomorrow, I just want to go with the flow, have fun and enjoy.”
Rising star Chen Yujie, at just 17 years of age, will pit her talents against the world’s best over 200m. “For now, the most important thing is to lay a strong foundation, stay healthy, keep away from injuries and see how my future goes,” she said.
For 100m hurdler Wu Yanni, “Xiamen feels like home”. She added: “The climate is more humid than where I’m from but for athletes I think it’s a good thing, it helps your muscles relax.”
Gong Debin, a two-time national champion in the 400m hurdles, is looking forward to taking on the world’s best on home turf. “It’s so exciting to come back here,” he said. “I want to show my best in front of the home crowd.”
Shi Yuhao, who won world long jump bronze in Tokyo last year, will be looking to record his second Diamond League win following his success in Keqiao last year. His personal best of 8.43m was set at the Shanghai Diamond League in 2018. “So it means a lot to me,” he said of the series. “I don’t have any specific goal here. I believe no plan is the best plan. I just need to not think too much and try to stay in the moment.”
Watch clips from the Press Conference here.
