Diamond League Wild Card: What US Track Athletes Must Do to Get to Worlds

Qualifying for the World Championships through the Diamond League Final is straightforward in concept, but far from easy in execution.

Aug 13, 2025 by Nia Gibson

Diamond League Wild Card: What US Track Athletes Must Do to Get to Worlds

Qualifying for the World Championships through the Diamond League Final is straightforward in concept, but far from easy in execution. For some athletes, it will mean adjusting their original season plans and doing some strategic math to earn enough points to make it to the Final in Zurich.

The winner of each discipline at the Diamond League Final earns an automatic wildcard to Worlds—unless their country already has the reigning world champion in that event, which would max out the nation’s four allowed entries. To reach the Final, athletes must rank the following in the Diamond League standings:

Top 6 in field events  
Top 8 from the 100m to 800m  
Top 10 in the 1500m and longer distances

Here’s where some U.S. athletes stand and what they’ll need to do:

Yared Nuguse

Yared Nuguse, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in the 1500m, missed out on a top-three finish at the U.S. Trials and didn’t make the team. His Diamond League path is still open, but he’s currently 12th in the standings.

He’ll race the 1500m this weekend in Silesia and could add more points in Brussels. Winning both races would give him 23 total points (adding 16 to his current 7). Several athletes ranked ahead of him–-Azeddine Habz, Isaac Nader, Anass Essayi, Robert Farken, Phanuel Koech, Jonah Koech, and Josh Kerr—are not entered in Silesia, giving him a real shot to climb.

Still, he’ll face stiff competition from some who currently lead him in Diamond League standings Timothy Cheruiyot, Reynold Cheruiyot, and Niels Laros, who edged Nuguse in the Bowerman Mile earlier this season.

Vernon Norwood

Vernon Norwood finished fourth in the 400m final at U.S. Nationals, just missing a Worlds spot. Right now, he’s fifth in the Diamond League standings—comfortably inside the top eight.

His only remaining chance to secure points before the Final is in Brussels, the last Diamond League meet with a men’s 400m before Zurich. While the start list isn’t out yet, his consistent form this season should have Norwood fans feeling confident.

Kendra “Keni” Harrison

Kendra “Keni” Harrison sits 9th in the women’s 100m hurdles standings with 9 points, just one spot outside the top eight needed to make the Final. She’ll compete this weekend in Silesia, where a podium finish could push her into qualifying position. With the field stacked, every point will matter.

To break into the top eight, Harrison will likely need at least 3–4 points from Silesia to move from 9th to 8th or higher, depending on how the athletes ahead of her perform. A win or second-place finish would almost certainly secure her a spot.

Graham Blanks

Graham Blanks made the U.S. team in the 10,000m but missed the cut in the 5000m. To double at Worlds, he’ll need to win the Diamond League Final.

He’s currently 10th in the 5000m standings—the last qualifying spot—and will race in Lausanne on August 20th. Only one athlete ahead of him, Birhanu Balew, is entered, meaning Blanks has a strong chance to move up or at least hold his position.

McKenzie Long

McKenzie Long will not compete in Silesia but will have her shot four days later in Lausanne. She’s currently 4th in the Diamond League standings with 11 points, comfortably inside the top eight qualifying range. A strong performance in Lausanne could solidify her spot in Zurich and improve her seeding for the Final.

With 11 points in 4th place, Long needs a solid top-3 finish in Lausanne to maintain or improve her ranking. Even a second or third-place finish would give her a comfortable buffer heading into Zurich.

A second chance at Worlds has added even more layers to an already exciting track and field season. With wildcard spots on the line, the next few weeks could completely shake up who we see in Zurich—and ultimately, at the World Championships. Remember, the Diamond League Final is a winner-takes-all format: all an athlete has to do is make it to Zurich, and victory there secures their spot at Worlds.

Don't Miss A Second Of The 2025 Diamond League

This year, the Diamond League is streaming live on FloTrack and the FloSports app, and FloTrack is giving fans more Diamond League access than ever before. For the first time ever, the Diamond League is streaming to fans all the feeds, not just the traditional world feed.

Fans will have uninterrupted coverage for every throw, leap and run during the meets as well as the traditional broadcast.

Where To Watch Diamond League?

The Wanda Diamond League will be broadcast on FloTrack and the FloSports app starting with the 2025 season.

FloTrack Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Join The Track & Field Conversation On Social

Follow us on Twitter @FloTrack
Follow us on Instagram @flotrack
Follow us on TikTok @flotracktv
Watch us on YouTube
Like us on Facebook