Diamond League final in Brussels: Friday brings world record holders and a battle for trophies
Allianz Memorial Van Damme 2026 is not just another stop on the athletics calendar. King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels will host the two-day Wanda Diamond League final on 4 and 5 September, the conclusion of a season in which athletes collect points across 14 qualifying meetings to earn a place among the best. In Brussels, the winners of a total of 32 disciplines will then be decided.
For visitors attending on Friday, 4 September, the programme is particularly interesting because it brings together sprinters, middle-distance runners, hurdlers and several of the world's leading jumpers. Confirmed names include Mondo Duplantis, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Ja'Kobe Tharp, Miltiadis Tentoglou, Gianmarco Tamberi, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi and Simon Verherstraeten. Alongside them, an exceptionally strong women's 3000 m steeplechase has also been announced.
The main part of the evening covered by this ticket begins at 20:00, and only a few minutes later come disciplines that could decide the Diamond Trophy. The Friday ticket applies to the first day of the final, while the remaining final disciplines will be held on Saturday.
It is worth securing tickets in time.
Why this is different from an ordinary Diamond League meeting
During most of the season, athletes collect points at Diamond League meetings. Brussels is the final stop on that journey: qualified competitors are no longer competing merely for additional points, but for victory in the final of their discipline and the Diamond Trophy.
The 2026 season began in Doha, and before the final in Brussels the series passes through Shanghai, Xiamen, Rabat, Rome, Stockholm, Oslo, Paris, Eugene, Monaco, London, Lausanne, Silesia and Zürich. The final qualifying meeting takes place in Zürich on 27 August, only eight days before the first evening of the final.
For spectators, this creates dynamics very different from those of a standard athletics meeting. In a sprint there is no time to make up for a mistake in a later race. In jumps and throws, every attempt can completely change the standings. In middle- and long-distance events, a tactical decision made several laps before the finish can decide an entire season.
The final programme includes 16 men's and 16 women's disciplines, spread across two evenings.
- Friday 4 September brings the first block of final disciplines.
- Saturday 5 September brings the second block and the remaining Diamond League decisions.
- The winners of the finals receive the Diamond Trophy.
- Brussels is the final stop after 14 qualifying meetings during the season.
- The 2026 edition is also the 50th edition of the Allianz Memorial Van Damme.
Mondo Duplantis and one of the strongest disciplines of the evening
The men's pole vault is one of the most eagerly anticipated parts of Friday. Mondo Duplantis arrives as the world record holder, but the competition in Brussels has not been assembled merely to watch his attempts.
In August, it was confirmed that Emmanouil Karalis, Kurtis Marschall, Sam Kendricks and Ben Broeders would also compete. Karalis cleared 6.16 m in Lausanne, while Duplantis reached 6.21 m at the same competition. Marschall managed to beat him during the season in Stockholm, while Kendricks won the Diamond League meeting in London.
Duplantis has nevertheless established a new benchmark for the discipline. During 2026, he raised the world record to 6.31 m, and by the end of August he had already cleared at least 6.20 m four times during the season. No other athlete in history has cleared more than 6.17 m.
For spectators in the stadium, the pole vault has an additional advantage: the competition lasts considerably longer than a single race. While sprints and longer events alternate on the track, the vaulters progress through a series of heights, so the battle can develop over a large part of the evening. Every first-attempt clearance becomes important when several contenders remain at the final heights.
Ja'Kobe Tharp arrives with a new world record in the 110 m hurdles
One of the freshest major names confirmed for Friday is Ja'Kobe Tharp. On 10 June at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, the American ran 12.75 in the 110 m hurdles, improving Aries Merritt's world record by five hundredths of a second.
For Brussels, that story carries additional significance. Merritt set the previous record of 12.80 at the Memorial Van Damme in 2012. Fourteen years later, the new world record holder comes to the same track where the previous benchmark for the discipline was established.
Tharp did not stop with a single record-breaking performance. During the European part of the season, he won Diamond League meetings in London and Silesia, so he arrives at the final with confirmed form at major international competitions as well.
The hurdles are among the disciplines in which spectators see the consequences of every mistake almost instantly. Touching a hurdle or losing rhythm can change the race in a fraction of a second, while the entire final decision lasts only a little more than twelve seconds.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi turns the 800 metres into one of Friday's highlights
Emmanuel Wanyonyi is one of the strongest confirmed middle-distance attractions. The Kenyan is the reigning world and Olympic champion in the 800 m, and his personal best of 1:41.11 places him second on the world all-time list.
He also enters the Brussels final season with a new world record in the 1000 m, set in Monaco. His history in Diamond League finals is especially relevant: he won the previous three finals, and he took the 2024 title in Brussels itself.
Watching an 800 m race live offers a different kind of tension from a pure sprint. The first 200 to 400 metres determine positions, but an overly fast start is often paid for on the final bend. At the same time, waiting too long can close the route to the leaders. Over the final 150 metres, spectators can clearly see who still has acceleration left and whose stride is beginning to shorten.
Another confirmed name for Friday is Busang Collen Kebinatshipi of Botswana. In the 400 m, he won Diamond League events during the season in Xiamen, Paris, Eugene and Monaco, while his 43.44 result from Monaco took him to sixth place on the world all-time list. He arrives in Brussels as world champion and as one of the athletes whose progress during 2026 has been particularly notable.
Men's 100 metres already early in the main programme
The men's 100 m final is scheduled for 20:14. Among the confirmed participants is Simon Verherstraeten, who received a wildcard following his appearance at the European Championships in Birmingham.
There, Verherstraeten became the first Belgian to reach the men's European 100 m final, and he also finished the championships with a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 m relay.
For spectators, the 100 m is the simplest discipline to follow, but that is precisely why it is also one of the most unforgiving. The start, acceleration phase and maximum speed must all fit into less than about ten seconds for the fastest finalists. Unlike the 800 or 1500 m, there is no tactical waiting for the right lap and no opportunity to gradually recover a lost position.
Three major champions in the 3000 m steeplechase
Immediately after the men's sprint, attention shifts to a completely different type of race. Peruth Chemutai, Faith Cherotich and Winfred Yavi have been confirmed for the women's 3000 m steeplechase final, and at the time the field was announced they were the three fastest athletes of the 2026 season in the discipline.
Their competitive profiles further increase the value of the contest. Chemutai is the Olympic champion from Tokyo, Yavi is the Olympic champion from Paris, and Cherotich is the reigning world champion.
For a visitor in the stadium, the steeplechase is one of the disciplines that is easier to appreciate live than from results alone. The rhythm must be maintained over multiple laps, while every barrier and passage through the water jump places additional strain on the runners. Gaps that appear small on the flat can quickly grow after several poorer barrier clearances.
Miltiadis Tentoglou and the battle in the long jump
Miltiadis Tentoglou has been confirmed for Friday in the men's long jump. The Greek won his fourth consecutive European title in Birmingham in 2026, and only a few weeks earlier he jumped 8.66 m at the Greek Championships.
That result is his personal best and was the longest jump in the world in the previous seven years. Tentoglou also arrives in Brussels as a two-time Olympic champion and the 2023 world champion.
An interesting detail is that, despite his many international titles and Diamond League victories, he has still not won the Memorial Van Damme. In the final held in Brussels in 2024, he finished third.
The long jump is a particularly good example of why it is worth following the entire series of attempts rather than only the final round. A single jump can immediately knock the favourite out of the leading position, while centimetres on the take-off board determine whether an attempt becomes a valid result or a foul.
Gianmarco Tamberi brings another final story to the jumping events
Gianmarco Tamberi has also been confirmed for Friday. The Italian arrives in Brussels after winning the fourth European title of his career in Birmingham. His résumé also includes Olympic gold from Tokyo and a world title from Budapest.
Tamberi has won the Diamond League final three times, including victory in Brussels in 2024. His appearance is therefore not simply the arrival of a famous name at an anniversary meeting, but an attempt to win another title in the series.
In the high jump, the viewing experience depends strongly on the position in the stands. Seats closer to the jumping sector make it easier to follow the approach, the position of the bar and the reactions after each attempt, while higher positions provide a better overview of the entire stadium and parallel disciplines.
Seats are disappearing quickly.
One-hour record attempt adds an unusual element to the programme
Alongside the standard finals, organisers have announced a one-hour record attempt by Jimmy Gressier for Friday. The Frenchman is the reigning world champion in the 10,000 m.
The format is simple but physically extreme: the aim is to cover as much distance as possible in exactly one hour. Such a race completely changes the rhythm of a stadium evening. While shorter disciplines alternate every few minutes, the runners remain on the track for a full hour and their result is built lap by lap.
Brussels also has a direct connection with this discipline. Mo Farah set the one-hour world record of 21,330 m at the Memorial Van Damme in 2020, while Sifan Hassan achieved 18,930 m in the women's competition on the same evening.
A stadium with a history of world records
King Baudouin Stadium has a capacity of 50,000 spectators and features a 400 m athletics track with nine lanes as well as separate sectors for jumps and throws. The Memorial Van Damme has been held at this venue since its first edition in 1977.
The meeting's history includes a series of performances that have remained part of world athletics. Aries Merritt ran the then world record of 12.80 in the 110 m hurdles here in 2012. Jakob Ingebrigtsen set the 2000 m world record of 4:43.13 in 2023, while Svetlana Masterkova ran 2:28.98 in the 1000 m as far back as 1996.
Brussels also remembers performances that were not world records but illustrate the speed of the track. Yohan Blake ran the 200 m in 19.26 in 2011, while Usain Bolt went below 9.90 several times in the 100 m at the Memorial, including 9.76 in 2011.
Because athletics disciplines take place simultaneously, it is worth keeping in mind that it will not be possible to follow every attempt and every race in equal detail. Central and higher positions in the stands provide a view of a larger portion of the competition area, while seats closer to the track offer a more intense experience of the sprints and the finishes of long races. For jumps and throws, the location of the sector becomes more important than the distance from the finish straight itself.
The fiftieth edition and the story of Ivo Van Damme
The 2026 edition marks the 50th staging of the Memorial Van Damme. The meeting is named after Ivo Van Damme, a Belgian middle-distance runner who, at the age of 22, won silver medals in the 800 and 1500 m at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.
Van Damme died in a road accident on 29 December of the same year. The idea of a major international athletics meeting in Brussels, which he had discussed while still alive, was turned into a memorial competition. The first edition was held on 16 August 1977.
Over the following decades, Seb Coe, Carl Lewis, Usain Bolt, Mondo Duplantis and numerous other Olympic and world champions competed at the meeting. Carl Lewis is one of the guests at the anniversary 2026 edition and will be inducted into the Memorial Hall of Fame together with Mike Boit and Dwight Stones, discipline winners at the inaugural edition in 1977.
Anniversary ceremonies have also been announced for both evenings. The programme includes appearances by former athletics stars, presentations of the Diamond League final winners and a concluding musical, light and laser segment with Helmut Lotti.
How to get to King Baudouin Stadium
The stadium is located at Avenue de Marathon 135, 1020 Brussels, in the Heysel area in the northern part of the city. For major events, the stadium management recommends public transport because road traffic around Heysel and the Brussels ring road can be very heavy, especially on Friday evenings.
Metro line 6 is the simplest option for a large number of visitors. The recommended station depends on the stand. Heysel/Heizel is convenient for the green and blue sectors, while Houba-Brugmann is recommended for the red, yellow and grey sectors. During major events, Roi Baudouin/Koning Boudewijn station may be closed, so it is useful to check transport information immediately before departure.
Tram and bus lines also serve the stadium area. Visitors arriving in Brussels by train can continue from Brussels-Midi on metro line 6 towards the stadium area.
For those arriving by car, there are car parks around the Brussels Expo complex, but the stadium management warns that parking in the Heysel area itself is limited and recommends a Park & Ride combination with public transport. Parking C has a capacity of 10,000 vehicles, and the pedestrian connection to the stadium is approximately 800 m long. The Brussels-Capital Region is also a low-emission zone, so drivers of vehicles registered outside Belgium should check the entry and registration rules in advance.
Ticket sales for this event are ongoing.
What to check before entering
King Baudouin Stadium rules restrict larger bags and certain equipment. Bags larger than A4 format are not permitted. Outside food is not allowed, and special restrictions apply to drinks; an exception may be water in a plastic bottle of up to 0.5 l without a cap.
The list of prohibited equipment also includes selfie sticks, laptops, tablets, cameras with interchangeable lenses, professional video and audio recording devices, GoPro cameras and drones. The stadium is non-smoking, including electronic cigarettes.
Special places are intended for visitors with reduced mobility, most commonly at the bottom of stand 1 or alongside the athletics track, because the stands do not have lifts. Special arrangements before arrival are required for such places and the associated parking.
At an athletics meeting, it is useful to arrive earlier than would be necessary for just one race. Entry, security checks and finding the correct sector can take time, while some jumping and throwing disciplines may begin before the main television block. This makes it possible to follow the development of the competition from the first heights and attempts instead of only the final rounds.
Brussels as a short destination alongside the athletics final
King Baudouin Stadium is located next to Heysel, outside Brussels' historic centre. The immediate area is recognisable by the Atomium and the Brussels Expo complex, while Grand-Place, the neighbourhoods around De Brouckère and other central city areas are connected by metro.
For visitors staying in the city longer than the meeting evening itself, it is practical to plan accommodation with a good connection to metro line 6 or to the larger railway stations. This avoids relying on a car after the programme ends, when a large number of spectators leave the stadium at the same time.
The sporting reason for coming nevertheless remains the strongest: in a single evening it is possible to see the world record holder in the 110 m hurdles, the world record holder in the pole vault, one of the fastest 800 m runners in history, a two-time Olympic long jump champion and the season final in a range of other disciplines. In the Diamond League final format, each of these performances has concrete competitive significance.
Sources:
- Wanda Diamond League - 2026 season calendar, system of 14 qualifying meetings, final in Brussels and a total of 32 disciplines.
- Allianz Memorial Van Damme / Brussels Diamond League - confirmed participants for 4 September, men's 100 m schedule, women's 3000 m steeplechase field and information about Mondo Duplantis, Ja'Kobe Tharp, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, Miltiadis Tentoglou and Gianmarco Tamberi.
- Allianz Memorial Van Damme / Brussels Diamond League - history of the meeting, world records achieved in Brussels, information about Ivo Van Damme and the anniversary programme of the 50th edition.
- City of Brussels - capacity and infrastructure of King Baudouin Stadium and the event location.
- King Baudouin Stadium - public transport, car parks, accessibility, entry rules and prohibited items.
- STIB-MIVB - recommended metro stations according to stands and transport organisation during major events.