The Meeting International d’Athlétisme Herculis EBS takes place in Monaco on Friday, and the 10th Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season brings several of the sport’s biggest names into the same stadium. Mondo Duplantis returns to defend his Herculis crown, while the rest of the program is built around a series of head-to-head clashes between reigning Olympic, world and world indoor champions.
That alone makes Monaco one of the most appealing stops on the Diamond League calendar. The meet is not just about star power, but about how those stars line up against each other in events where the margins are often measured in hundredths of a second or a single attempt.
Champions on collision course
One of the headline matchups features Julien Alfred and Gabby Thomas, two athletes who arrive with strong recent form. Alfred won the 100m and 200m in Oslo and Rome, while Thomas ran 21.70 in Texas one month before Monaco. That gives the sprint races a clear competitive edge before the first gun even fires.
The women’s hurdles also carry significant intrigue. Masai Russell ran 12.14 at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, then followed that with 12.24 on Saturday in Eugene. She is part of a meet that also includes Nadine Visser, Pia Skrzyszowska and Alaysha Johnson, adding depth to a race that already has multiple proven performers.
Another key storyline comes in the jumps, where Mattia Furlani and Miltiadis Tentoglou are among the names expected to draw attention. In the pole vault, the spotlight again falls on Mondo Duplantis, who remains the most recognizable figure in the event and now returns to a venue where he has already built a strong Monaco association.
Faith Kipyegon back in familiar territory
Faith Kipyegon’s return gives the meeting another major thread. In 2023, she created history at the Louis II Stadium with her world mile record of 4:07.64, and in February she made her road 10km debut in Monaco. That background gives her appearance added significance, especially in a city that has already been central to some of her most notable performances.
Kipyegon also arrives after a busy stretch. On Saturday in Eugene, she finished third in the mile, another reminder that Monaco is bringing together athletes who have already spent much of the season testing themselves against elite opposition.
More marquee races across the track
The women’s sprints are not the only event with a strong competitive frame. In the men’s races, Oblique Seville and Letsile Tebogo both reached the podium in Eugene, with Seville second in the 100m and Tebogo second in the 200m. Tebogo also appears in a field that includes Jordan Anthony, adding another direct matchup to a meet already full of them.
The women’s 400m picture is equally loaded. In Paris, Collen Kebinatshipi and Marileidy Paulino set Diamond League 400m records, while Paulino also won the Diamond League 400m in Doha and Paris. Nickisha Pryce won the Diamond League in Shanghai, giving the event another athlete with recent winning form.
In the end, Monaco’s appeal is straightforward. With Olympic, world and world indoor champions all appearing on the same Friday card, the Meeting International d’Athlétisme Herculis EBS offers the kind of concentrated elite competition that can shape the rest of the Diamond League season. For Duplantis, Kipyegon and the rest of the field, it is a chance to add another major result in one of the sport’s most established meeting settings.
