Xiamen gains Diamond League status

Get ready for more exciting actions on the track and field as the world's premier athletics series has expanded into a new city in China.

Xiamen, a coastal city in East China's Fujian province, will stage a Wanda Diamond League meeting beginning this fall for the next 10 years, making the city the second host in China of the top-flight athletics series together with Shanghai.

The inaugural Xiamen meet will be held on Sept 2 at the newly-built Egret Stadium, a state-of-the-art project with a capacity of 53,000, and is expected to witness Chinese athletes taking on the world's best in 14 track and field events, according to announcement of the new event on Wednesday.

"There is a profound tradition of sports in Xiamen. The Egret Stadium and the two affiliated stadiums are built according to international first-class standard. We look forward to hosting the Wanda Diamond League Xiamen meeting to highest standards," said Liao Huasheng, a deputy mayor of Xiamen.

Among international stars set to descend to Xiamen, reigning Diamond League champion Ivana Vuleta (women's long jump), two-time Olympic champion Christian Taylor (men's triple jump) and six-time Diamond Trophy winner Sandra Perkovic (women's discus throw) will all be present.

China's own best, such as reigning women's world champion discus thrower Feng Bin, men's Olympic triple jump medalist Zhu Yaming and women's long jump national champion Xiong Shiqi, will challenge their elite counterparts from around the world to wow local spectators.

"I must give my deepest gratitude to the Xiamen Government for their efficiency and great support of this project. You make a great example for the world of sports," said Rune Stenersen, director of the Xiamen event.

"The city is truly beautiful with warm and welcoming people. The Egret stadium can take your breath away. An architectural treasure and a modern stadium with top notch facilities for athletics that really is perfect for a Diamond League event," said Stenersen, former CEO of the Diamond League's Oslo leg in Norway.

The Shanghai leg, a fixture on the Diamond League series' calendar since 2010, will postpone its return from the pandemic hiatus to next year due to renovation projects of its two major stadiums.

Starting from the 2024 season, the Diamond League will open its 14-leg series in Xiamen on April 20, followed by the resumed Shanghai meet a week later.

With three more legs remaining on this year's calendar, the league will next travel to Zurich, Switzerland, followed by Xiamen and Brussels, before concluding with a two-day final in Eugene, Oregon from Sept 16-17.