Xiamen Diamond League 2023 preview: Full schedule and how to watch live track and field action
The top three from last month's World Championship men's 800m final, headed by Canada's Marco Arop, do battle again in China, with Grant Holloway, Ivana Vuleta, Marileidy Paulino, and Soufiane El Bakkali also competing.
Athletics
Athletics' premier track and field series, the Diamond League, makes its debut in Xiamen on Saturday (2 September).
Replacing previous Chinese venue Shenzhen, Xiamen's 53,000-capacity Egret Stadium is the penultimate stop of the 2023 regular series and will host some disciplines for the last time before the season finals in Eugene.
That makes it a crucial meet for athletes wanting to reach those finals with 13 disciplines in total being contested.
There are a number of medallists from last month's World Championships in Budapest including the top three from the men's 800m led by Canada's Marco Arop.
Ukraine's high jump world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh renews rivalry with Budapest silver medallist Eleanor Patterson, while three-time 110m hurdles world champion Grant Holloway faces Olympic gold medallist Hansle Parchment.
And Fred Kerley will be hoping to bounce back from losing his world crown in the 100m with Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs among his rivals.
Read on to find out who and what to look out for in the 12th round of this year's Diamond League series.
Athletes to watch at the 2023 Xiamen Diamond League
Fresh from winning his third consecutive world title in Budapest to emulate the late Greg Foster, Grant Holloway returns to Diamond League action in Xiamen.
The American became one of just three men to break 13 seconds for the high hurdles this year in the final, clocking 12.96 to win from Hansle Parchment.
Jamaica's Olympic champion ran a season's best 13.07 in second after teammate Rasheed Broadbell, who still has the fastest time of 2023, crashed out in the heats.
Parchment needs a good finish to book his place in the finals in Eugene with Cordell Tinch, the only man bar Holloway and Broadbell to go sub-13 this season, also in the line-up after his semi-final exit in Budapest.
No fewer than four global champions line up for the 100m with reigning Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs facing former world champions Yohan Blake (2011), Christian Coleman (2019) and Fred Kerley (2022).
Eleanor Patterson made a spirited defence of her high jump world title after foot surgery earlier this year, but found Yaroslava Mahuchikh just too good.
They meet again in Xiamen and, with the pair seemingly clear of the rest of the field, the Australian should clinch a spot in the Eugene finals.
The men's 800m looks to be the contest of the meet with Marco Arop facing fellow Budapest medallists Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya and Britain's Ben Pattison, and Diamond League leader Wyclife Kinyamal who failed to make it out of the Kenyan trials.
After a runaway victory in the women's 400m world final, Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino returns to Diamond League action in Xiamen.
The men's 400m looks a strong encounter with London 2012 gold medallist Kirani James up against world bronze medallist Quincy Hall and Jamaica's Rusheen McDonald who holds the second-fastest time in the world this year.
Relay gold medallist Vernon Norwood adds depth to an intriguing race where only victory will do for James and Hall as they chase a berth in Eugene.
Serbia's world champion Ivana Vuleta heads the entry list for the long jump where Quanesha Burks will be hoping to put her qualification exit in Budapest behind her.
Hugues Fabrice Zango left it late to take triple jump gold in Hungary, and the man from Burkina Faso is seeking to strengthen his Diamond League series lead in China.
Fresh from her winning her first discus world title, Laulauga Tausaga will hope to book her spot in the Eugene Diamond League final with a strong finish. Croatia's three-time world champion Sandra Perkovic and home favourite Feng Bin, who took bronze behind Tausaga in Budapest, are among her rivals.
Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali was last defeated in the 3000m steeplechase in Zurich two years ago, and the Moroccan will be expected to keep his unbeaten run intact after securing his second world crown last month.
How to watch the 2023 Diamond League in Xiamen
The 2023 Xiamen Diamond League meet takes place on Saturday 2 September.
There are a number of events featuring local athletes, but the first Diamond League competition - the women's long jump - gets underway at 18:09 local Chinese Standard Time (10:09 UTC).
Action will be streamed in a number of territories on the Wanda Diamond League YouTube page from 19:00 local time (11:00 UTC). The live stream will not be available in all territories.
BBC has the rights in the UK and will broadcast it on BBC Two, while for viewers in the U.S., NBC holds the rights and will broadcast on CNBC and on Peacock.
SuperSport is the rightsholder for the 2023 Diamond League in most of Africa.
Schedule for the 2023 Xiamen Diamond League meeting
All times in Chinese Standard Time / CST (8 hours ahead of GMT/UTC)
Saturday 2 September - Xiamen Diamond League 2023
Diamond League events only. Additional events are taking place during the evening for local athletes.
- 18:09 - Long jump women
- 18:20 - High jump women
- 19:04 - 400m men
- 19:16 - 3000m women
- 19:26 - Discus women
- 19:35 - 100m men
- 19:44 - Triple jump men
- 19:44 - 800m men
- 19:57 - 400m women
- 20:07 - 3000m steeplechase men
- 20:27 - 400m hurdles women
- 20:37 - 1500m women
- 20:53 - 110m hurdles men