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The Wanda Diamond League season continues at the postponed Mazzraty Doha Meeting in Qatar this Friday.
Here are five things to look out for at the seventh leg of the Road to the Final:
Chopra vs Pathirage
Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra made history in Doha last year when he finally broke the 90-metre mark after years of trying. Even that wasn’t enough for Chopra, however, as German rival Julian Weber snatched victory away from him late on in an extraordinary competition. Chopra faces an equally tough test this time around, going up against fellow South Asian star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage of Sri Lanka. The 24-year-old has been the man to beat this year, setting a new world lead and meeting record of 92.62m at the Diamond League meeting in Rome two weeks ago. It will be only the third meeting between Chopra and Pathirage and their first on the Diamond League stage.
Tinch eyes revenge
After a stunning season in 2025, reigning world and Diamond League champion Cordell Tinch has made a slower start to this campaign in the men’s 110m hurdles. Instead, it is his felow American Jamal Britt who leads the Diamond League standings as we approach the halfway stage, having beaten Tinch comfortably in both Keqiao and Xiamen at the start of the season. He followed that up with another victory in LA last weekend and it will take quite something for this year’s form athlete to be beaten in Doha. Tinch is still world number one, however, and will no doubt be eyeing revenge sooner or later.
Paulino launches campaign
Marileidy Paulino’s long reign of dominance in the women’s 400m came to an end at last year’s Wanda Diamond League Final as the Olympic champion was beaten by Salwa Eid Naser in Zurich, ending three years as Diamond League champion an 11-competition unbeaten run in the series. The Dominican Republic star returns to action in Doha, where she will make her first Diamond League appearance of the season and launch her campaign to regain the title in 2026.
El Bakkali back in action
If there is one Diamond League city Soufiane El Bakkali likes almost as much as Rabat, then it is probably Doha. The Moroccan 3000m steeplechase star has won on both his previous appearances here in his chosen discipline and also ran his 1500m and 3000m personal bests at the Qatar Sports Club. The Olympic champion returns to Qatar in superb form this week, having stormed to a world lead of 7:57.25 on home soil in Rabat last month.
Cuban clash
Davisleydi Velazco could barely contain her delight when she won the women’s triple jump in Stockholm earlier this month, claiming her first Diamond League victory and becoming only the third Cuban to do so in the women’s triple jump after double world champion Yarelis Savigne and reigning world and Diamond League champion Leyanis Pérez Hernández. That surprise win has set up a tasty rematch in Doha, where Velazco will once again go up against fellow Cubans Pérez Hernández and Liadagmis Povea as well as Olympic champion Thea Lafond.
