After 14 thrilling Diamond League meetings since April, the ultimate showdown has finally arrived. The 2025 Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League Final begins Wednesday at Switzerland’s Letzigrund Stadium, where the world’s top athletes will clash across 32 events. For some, it’s a tune-up for next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo; for others, it’s their very last shot to qualify.
Olympic silver medallist and reigning world champion Marco Arop will be the lone Canadian on the track, aiming to improve on his third-place finish from last year’s final, where he clocked in 1:43.25 behind Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya) and Olympic bronze medallist Djamel Sedjati (Algeria). Both rivals will be back in the mix on Thursday, along with top Americans Josh Hoey and Bryce Hoppel.
Even with worlds only three weeks away, Arop isn’t holding back from having a big race in Zürich. “You know I love to compete,” he told Canadian Running. “I will always try to show up when I can. I think it’s important to get these races in, because they show where I’m at, and lets Coach Woods know what we need to work on in training as we get closer to worlds.”
The past few months haven’t been perfect–Arop was dealing with a minor injury–but now, he says he’s nearly back to 100 per cent. “I’m feeling really good about Zurich, and looking forward to Tokyo,” he said.
The men’s 800m goes Thursday at 3:20 p.m. ET.
A 200m rivalry
Olympic sprint champions Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo are set for a face-off in the men’s 200m. Tebogo was second at last year’s final to American Kenny Bednarek, whose absence this year slightly cools the competitive fire after his public spat with Lyles at the USATF championships.
To add to it, history is on the line: if Lyles wins, he’ll become the first male track athlete in history to claim six Diamond League titles.
Absent stars in the 1,500m
With several headliners missing in Zürich, the stage is wide open for others. Skipping the Diamond League Final for the first time since 2019 is Kenya’s middle-distance great Faith Kipyegon, leaving Australia’s Jess Hull with a golden 1,500m opportunity to chase her first Diamond League crown.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen remains sidelined after skipping the entire Diamond League season. That opens the door for Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse, who will use this race as his last chance to qualify for Tokyo–but even without Ingebrigtsen in the field, the challenge ahead is steep. The 1,500m lineup features world leader Azeddine Habz of France, 18-year-old Kenyan breakout Phanuel Koech and 20-year-old Dutch prodigy Niels Laros, all vying for the Diamond League title.
World 400m hurdles record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is out, giving Dutch star Femke Bol a clear path to the podium. In the short sprints, Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia looks ready for a dominant victory, with 100m world leader Melissa Jefferson and reigning 100m world champion Sha’Carri Richardson both absent.
Mitton to defend shot put title
Canada’s Sarah Mitton opens her campaign Wednesday in Zürich’s Sechseläutenplatz town square, where she’ll aim to defend her shot put throne ahead of Tokyo. The same evening, Swedish pole vault legend Mondo Duplantis will certainly take a run at yet another world record.
Diamond League rule keeps Jakob Ingebrigtsen out of final
Each Diamond League champion will be handed a US$50,000 paycheque and a wild card to the world championships, but all final decisions for confirming official world teams are left with national athletic associations.
See here for Zurich Diamond League schedule and results.
