Record number of Jamaicans head to Diamond League Final

Jamaica will have a strong contingent of a record 18 athletes at this weekend’s Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium, following the completion of the 14-meet regular season in Zurich, Switzerland, last Thursday.

The two-day final, scheduled for September 4 and 5, will bring together the leading athletes from across the Diamond League series, with Jamaica expected to be well represented in the sprints, hurdles and field events.

Leading the Jamaican charge will be World Championships 100-metre champion Oblique Seville, who finished the regular season atop the men’s 100m standings.

Commonwealth Games champion Jordan Scott will also enter the final as the leading qualifier in the men’s triple jump, while Orlando Bennett safely advanced in the men’s 110m hurdles.

Other Jamaican men to qualify are Jaydon Hibbert in the triple jump, Romaine Beckford in the high jump and Roje Stona in the discus throw.

The men’s long jump will also feature a strong Jamaican presence after Tajay Gayle and Wayne Pinnock both secured places in Brussels.

Gayle produced one of Jamaica’s standout performances in Zurich, finishing second with a leap of 8.43 metres, while Pinnock was third with 8.33m. Their strong finishes ensured both remained inside the top-six qualifying positions.

Rajindra Campbell also booked his ticket to Brussels after placing second in the men’s shot put in Zurich with 22.22m. Campbell entered the meeting second in the standings and further strengthened his position with another impressive performance.

The women’s team will be led by Nickisha Pryce in the 400m, with Stacey-Ann Williams also qualifying for the one-lap final.

Tina Clayton and Jonielle Smith will represent Jamaica in the women’s 100m. Clayton solidified her position with a fourth-place finish in Zurich in 10.98 seconds, while Smith also remained inside the qualifying places.

Rushell Clayton, one of Jamaica’s most consistent performers throughout the series, qualified for the women’s 400m hurdles final. She finished third in Zurich in 53.17 seconds and heads to Brussels ranked among the leading contenders.

Jamaica will also be represented by Megan Simmonds in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Ackelia Smith qualified in the women’s triple jump, while Danniel Thomas-Dodd secured her place in the women’s shot put.

Lamara Distin completed Jamaica’s list of qualifiers after finishing fourth in the women’s high jump in Zurich with a season’s best-equalling 1.96m. She entered the meeting outside the qualifying positions but delivered when it mattered most.

One notable absentee, however, will be Shericka Jackson, who qualified for the women’s 200m but has withdrawn because of injury. Jackson finished sixth in the Diamond League standings with 16 points.

The Brussels final therefore presents an important opportunity for Jamaica’s athletes, with several entering the two-day championship among the leading contenders in their respective events.

For Seville, Scott and others who finished high in the standings, the objective will be to convert their regular-season consistency into Diamond League glory, while Gayle, Pinnock, Campbell and Distin will seek to build on their strong performances in Zurich.

The Wanda Diamond League Final will bring the curtain down on the 2025 Diamond League season, with 32 events scheduled across the two days in Brussels.

The 18 qualifiers

Oblique Seville – men’s 100m

Orlando Bennett – men’s 110m hurdles

Jordan Scott – men’s triple jump

Jaydon Hibbert – men’s triple jump

Romaine Beckford – men’s high jump

Roje Stona – men’s discus throw

Tajay Gayle – men’s long jump

Wayne Pinnock – men’s long jump

Rajindra Campbell – men’s shot put

Nickisha Pryce – women’s 400m

Stacey-Ann Williams – women’s 400m

Tina Clayton – women’s 100m

Jonielle Smith – women’s 100m

Megan Simmonds – women’s 100m hurdles

Rushell Clayton – women’s 400m hurdles

Ackelia Smith – women’s triple jump

Danniel Thomas-Dodd – women’s shot put

Lamara Distin – women’s high jump