Mahuchikh, Wanyonyi, and El Bakkali headline Rabat Diamond League

The Diamond League's third stop of the year in Rabat, Morocco, will feature a star-studded lineup, including Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Kenyan middle-distance runner Emmanuel Wanyonyi, and Moroccan Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali. These athletes are poised to shine in what promises to be a thrilling event.

Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the 2022-2024 Diamond League high jump champion, is determined to regain her title after being surpassed by Australia's Nicola Olyslagers last season. Having recently won gold at the World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, with a jump of 2.01 meters, the 24-year-old Ukrainian is kicking off her outdoor season in Rabat, setting her sights on a fourth Diamond League crown.

Moroccan fans will be particularly focused on Soufiane El Bakkali, the double Olympic champion in the 3000m steeplechase. El Bakkali has consistently met expectations in recent years, securing four consecutive victories at the Mohammed VI International Meeting since 2022, including a personal best of 7:56.68 in 2023. He will face strong competition from world champion Geordie Beamish of New Zealand and Diamond League champion Frederik Ruppert of Germany.

In the men's 800 meters, Kenyan runner Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who experienced an unexpected defeat in Rabat last year, will be looking to start his Diamond League season on a winning note. Despite finishing third in Rabat in 2025, he went on to secure five circuit victories and claim his first world title, a feat he aims to replicate this year.

The women's 400m hurdles also promises excitement as the race to succeed the dominant Femke Bol begins. Bol had an unparalleled record in the event, with thirty consecutive wins and five series titles since 2020. The competition is now open, with American Anna Cockrell, who won two Diamond League meetings in Bol's absence in 2024, emerging as a strong contender. Other notable participants include Gianna Woodruff, Andrenette Knight, Rushell Clayton, and Amalie Iuel, who collectively hold seven Diamond League victories. The men's 400m season kicked off last week with world champion Busang Collen Kebinatshipi's world-leading time of 43.92 seconds, but he faces stiff competition in Rabat from world number one and reigning Diamond League champion Jacory Patterson.