28-year-old Kerr won the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships with a national record and Oceania best of 2.36m, upgrading his 2022 bronze. He matched that height in Paris, winning Olympic gold after a jump-off inspired by the Tokyo 2021 actions of Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, who, in contrast, chose to share the gold medal. The Commonwealth champion most recently finished second in the 2025 World Indoors.
“Things are building nicely for the year ahead and I’m excited to open my Diamond League season in Doha,” said Kerr, who won his ninth national title with victory at the New Zealand Championships in March. “My confidence has grown a lot over the last 12 months and it’s an absolute privilege to have the opportunity to jump against such high-quality athletes. It’s a big summer, and of course my focus is on Tokyo, but in order to grow and learn more about yourself, it’s important to put yourself out there and compete against the best.”
Barshim, who finished third in Paris, is also a two-time Olympic silver medallist (2012 and 2016). A true championship performer, he won an unprecedented third successive global title with victory at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene 2022.
A great ambassador for the sport and his country, the 33-year-old launched his own innovative event in 2024 - the ‘What Gravity Challenge’ - bringing together a group of the world’s best high jumpers at the spectacular Katara Amphitheatre in Doha.
“High jump is my passion, and although I’ve made history, I still strive for more,” said the Qatar national record holder who has a best of 2.43m, the second highest jump of all time. “After the Paris Olympic Games, I made the decision not to compete this indoor season. I’ve been in this sport a while now and I have to make sensible decisions. The World Championships in Tokyo is my main goal for the year and to perform at my best, I need to prioritise my competitions ahead of then. The ‘What Gravity Challenge’ and the Diamond League meeting in Doha will be my first two events of the year and I’m looking forward to opening up my season in front of a home support, it means a lot to me to be able to do that.”
The Doha Meeting is the third meeting of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League. The series - which will pay out a record total of 9.24 million US dollars in prize money - comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field across four different continents, starting with Xiamen on 26 April and concluding with a single final across two days in Zurich (27-28 August).
