World indoor champions eye Diamond League glory

A week after the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, the biggest stars of track and field are now turning their attention to the outdoor season and the start of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League campaign.

Athletics' premier one-day series kicks off in Xiamen, China on April 26, starting a journey across four continents and 15 of the sport's most iconic events. 

The Diamond League is where the world's best stay on top of their game, competing with their biggest rivals throughout the season as they gear up for the outdoor World Athletics Championships in Tokyo later this year.

With a month to go, several of this year's world indoor champions have already confirmed their attendance at one or more Diamond League meetings.

Holloway and Duplantis in China

US sprint hurdles star Grant Holloway snagged his third 60m hurdles world indoor title in Nanjing last weekend, and will return to China for the opening two meetings of the Diamond League season in Xiamen and Shanghai/Keqiao.

This week, Holloway also confirmed his attendance in the 110m hurdles in Silesia, where he joins pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis and Norwegian distance star Jakob Ingebrigtsen on an already star-studded line-up.

Other world indoor champions eyeing Diamond League success include Italian long jump ace Mattia Furlani and Great Britain's 60m gold medallist Jeremiah Azu. 

Furlani will go up against Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou when he makes a first appearance at his home Diamond League meeting in Rome in June. 

Azu, meanwhile, faces the likes of Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo and former 100m world champion Christian Coleman in a thrilling clash of the titans in the men's 100m in Keqiao. 

Tebogo, who narrowly missed out on the 200m Diamond League title last season, will also compete in the 100m in Doha as he looks to claim a first Diamond Trophy in 2025.

Olympic rematches

The rest of the season also promises plenty of high-quality head-to-heads.

Last week saw Eugene confirm a breathtaking line-up in the women's 800m which will reunite all three Olympic medallists from Paris 2024, with Keely Hodgkinson taking on Mary Moraa and Tsige Duguma.

The Prefontaine Classic will also feature an Olympic final rematch in the women's long jump, as Tara Davis-Woodhall goes up against Malaika Mihambo and Jasmine Moore.