PREVIEW: Lyles v Thompson Headlines Silesia Diamond League

Poland- The 2025 Silesia Diamond League, set for next Saturday at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Poland, is poised to be an unmissable event on the athletics calendar, featuring a star-studded lineup and anticipated rematches.

Sprint Showdowns and World Record Returns

The men’s 100m will host a highly anticipated rematch between Noah Lyles (USA) and Kishane Thompson (Jamaica), who famously clocked identical times of 9.79 seconds at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with Lyles winning by a mere five-thousandths of a second. Thompson enters in stellar form, having run a world-leading 9.75 seconds this season and securing a win at the Prefontaine Classic. Lyles, recovering from injury, is focused on improving his Diamond League standing to qualify for the Zurich Final.

The event will also see two world record holders return to the scene of their historic 2024 achievements:

Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway), who shattered the 3000m record with a time of 7:17.55.
Mondo Duplantis (Sweden), who cleared 6.26m in the pole vault. (It’s worth noting that Duplantis has continued to break his own record since, most recently setting a new world record of 6.28m at the Stockholm Diamond League in June 2025).

Both are defending their Diamond League titles and aiming for further historic performances.

High-Stakes Track Battles

The women’s 400m promises to be intensely competitive, with European champion Natalia Kaczmarek (Poland) competing on home soil against Olympic gold medalist Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic) and former world champion Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain). With seven of the eight Olympic finalists in the field, this race is set to be a major highlight.

Middle-distance fans can look forward to the men’s 800m, featuring Olympic gold medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya) and silver medalist Marco Arop (Canada). With several athletes consistently running under 1:42, this race has the potential to push the event’s limits.

African Athletes to Watch

African athletes are set to feature prominently across various disciplines, showcasing the continent’s growing prowess in track and field:

South Africa:

Akani Simbine will compete in the men’s 100m against a strong American trio including Christian Coleman, Trayvon Bromell, and Noah Lyles.
Marione Fourie will represent South Africa in the women’s 100m sprint hurdles.

Nigeria:

Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles (12.12 seconds), is chasing her fourth Diamond Trophy. She is currently second in the Diamond League standings for her event with 17 points, behind leader Grace Stark of the United States (35 points). She will face strong competition from Masai Russell (USA), Ackera Nugent (Jamaica), and Danielle Williams (Jamaica).
Favour Ofili will shift focus to the women’s 200m, facing top contenders such as Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) and Brittany Brown (USA).
Ezekiel Nathaniel, a rising star in the 400m hurdles, will challenge Olympic champion Karsten Warholm (Norway) and Abderrahman Samba (Qatar).
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will compete in the men’s shot put, aiming for a Diamond League Final spot after breaking the African record with a 22.10m throw in Oregon.

Kenya:

A strong Kenyan contingent in the men’s 1500m includes Timothy Cheruiyot, Reynold Cheruiyot, Abel Kipsang, and Festus Lagat.
Beatrice Chebet will compete in the women’s 1500m, part of a formidable Kenyan and Ethiopian lineup.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi (mentioned above), an Olympic medalist in the 800m.

Ethiopia:

A powerful group of Ethiopian athletes including Gudaf Tsegay, Diribe Welteji, Freweyni Hailu, Birke Haylom, Worknesh Mesele, and Saron Berhe are all entered in the women’s 1500m, promising one of the most competitive races of the meet.

Ivory Coast: