Brits are part of a strong Diamond League that features six reigning Olympic gold medallists
The fifth Wanda Diamond League meeting of 2025 – on Sunday (May 25) in Rabat – sees the series step up a notch with six reigning Olympic champions in action, plus Femke Bol making her summer debut and Brits such as Molly Caudery and Max Burgin.
The Paris 2024 winners in the Moroccan city are: sprinter Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, 800m man Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya, distance runner Beatrice Chebet of Kenya, quarter-miler Quincy Hall from the United States, steeplechaser Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco and high jumper Hamish Kerr from New Zealand.
Burgin faces one of these athletes, Wanyonyi, in a stacked men’s 800m which also includes Tshepiso Masalela of Botswana, the winner in Doha last week, plus two-time Commonwealth champion Wyclife Kinyamal of Kenya.
Burgin has a habit of starting his season in style but has he managed to shake off the Achilles issues that troubled him last year. Despite managing the injury, however, he still managed to reach the Olympic final, which was won by Wanyonyi in a blistering 1:41.19 as Burgin finished eighth in 1:43.84 after a 1:43.50 PB in his semi.
READ MORE: Burgin’s journey to the Olympic final
Fresh from victory at the Diamond League in Doha this month, Caudery faces world champion Katie Moon of the United States and European champion Angelica Moser of Switzerland, plus Alysha Newman of Canada.
Tebogo is doubling up in Rabat, firstly in the 100m where he’ll face in-form South African sprinter Akani Simbine, 2022 world champion Fred Kerley – the American no doubt hoping to keep a low profile after a brush with the police in the United States – and African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala.
Later in the meeting Tebogo will race in the 200m against two-time world medallist Erriyon Knighton and world 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk.
Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Chebet will run the 3000m in Rabat against Ejgayehu Taye and Lemlem Hailu from Ethiopia, together with Olympic silver medallist Nadia Battocletti of Italy.
El Bakkali is coming off a couple of defeats but will not want to lose in front of his home crowd against a field that includes Samuel Firewu and Abrham Sime of Ethiopia and Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya.
World 400m hurdles champion Bol starts her summer season against Jamaicans Rushell Clayton and Andrenette Knight among others.
In the women’s 800m, Tsige Duguma will hope to continue her fine start to the season after a world-leading 1:56.64 to break the Ethiopian record in China earlier this month.
The meeting is live on BBC from 7-9pm. Timetable and results here.
