Strong Jamaican line-up for Diamond League final

Jamaica will have a strong contingent at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium, on September 4 and 5, with several athletes already safely through following Sunday’s Silesia meeting and others having their qualification secured because their events are not on the programme for Thursday’s final regular season meet in Zurich.

Under the 2026 Diamond League format, the top eight athletes in the 100m to 800m events qualify for the final, while the top six in field events advance.

Leading Jamaica’s charge will be Oblique Seville, who is comfortably qualified for the men’s 100m. Seville tops the standings with 23 points and will not have to compete in Zurich, as the men’s 100m is not on that meeting’s programme.

Orlando Bennett is also safely through in the men’s 110m hurdles with 29 points and third place in the standings.

In the field events, Jordan Scott is another Jamaican already assured of a place in the final. Scott leads the men’s triple jump with 26 points.

Romaine Beckford will also make the trip to Brussels after finishing third in the men’s high jump standings with 18 points.

Roje Stona has also secured his place in the final in the men’s discus throw. Stona is fourth with 14 points, comfortably inside the top six, and the discus is not on the Zurich programme.

The women’s events will have a strong Jamaican presence, led by Nickisha Pryce, who is second in the women’s 400m with 35 points. Although the event is not being contested in Zurich, Pryce’s place was already firmly established.

Stacy-Ann Williams, meanwhile, sits eighth with 20 points. Since there is no women’s 400m in Zurich, she cannot be overtaken and will also be in Brussels.

Already qualified

In the 100m, Tina Clayton and Jonielle Smith are also safely inside the qualifying places, sitting fourth and eighth, respectively, with 15 and 11 points.

Rushell Clayton has been one of Jamaica’s most consistent performers in the women’s 400m hurdles and is second in the standings with 31 points, well inside the qualifying positions.

Jamaica will also be represented in two women’s field events by Ackelia Smith and Danniel Thomas-Dodd. Smith is sixth in the women’s triple jump with seven points, while Thomas-Dodd is sixth in the shot put with 13 points. Both events are already completed on the Road to the Final, so their places in Brussels are secure.

That means Jamaica have 12 athletes currently assured of competing in Brussels, while Shericka Jackson, although qualified for the women’s 200m with 16 points, will not compete after withdrawing because of injury. Jackson is sixth in the standings.

On the bubble

There are still athletes with work to do in Zurich. Megan Simmonds, sixth in the women’s 100m hurdles with 19 points, remains on the qualification bubble because that event will be contested in Zurich.

Lamara Distin, seventh in the women’s high jump with 13 points, is in a similar position, while Wayne Pinnock and Tajay Gayle remain just inside the qualifying positions in the men’s long jump, fourth and fifth, respectively, an event also scheduled for Zurich.