Zurich Diamond League 2025: Top clashes to watch out for ft. Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo

Top athletes, world and Olympic champions, have geared up to contend for further honours at the Zurich Diamond League 2025. Just days before the most-anticipated World Championships in Tokyo, athletes will put their prowess to the test in the final DL outing.

With prize money ranging from US$30,000 to US$50,000 on the line, the line-ups feature formidable rivals like Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo in the men's 200m, Dina Asher-Smith and Julien Alfred in the women's 100m, Salwa Eid Naser and Marileidy Paulino in the women's 400m, and Tobi Amusan and Kendra Harrison in the 100m hurdles, among others.

While the above clashes are sure to lock fans to their seats, some athletes are missing from their roster, like Lyles' biggest rival, Kishane Thompson, and reigning Olympic champion, Tara Davis-Woodhall, from the long jump, and others.

Now, let's dig deep into the head-to-head of the athletes who are likely to win their respective events.

Zurich Diamond League 2025: Top clashes

#1. Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo in the men's 200m

Noah Lyles, who claimed the US title at the National Championships in a world-leading time of 19.63s. will headline the men's 200m, having consciously sat out of the 100m to focus on doubling at the Worlds. On the other hand, the first Olympic gold medalist from Botswana, Letsile Tebogo, will take the Zurich track fresh off setting his personal best time of 19.76s at the Prefontaine Classic.

Previously, at the Monaco stop, Lyles trounced Tebogo with a strong 19.88s while the latter faded to 19.97s. At the Paris Olympics in 2024, when the two met, the Botswanian stormed to victory while Lyles faded to bronze.

#2. Dina Asher-Smith and Julien Alfred in the women's 100m

Dina Asher-Smith won the 100m gold at the 2024 European Championships, her first title since 2019. On the other hand, Alfred claimed the first Olympic title for Saint Lucia in the Paris Games and even recorded wins in the Monaco and Stockholm Diamond League stops.

Alfred and Asher-Smith met once at the Brussels Diamond League in 2024, where the former defeated the Brit for the win.

#3. Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser in the women's 400m

Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser have been the two most promising women in the flat 400m. Now, in Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's absence, the two will have the track to themselves. At the Paris Olympics, Paulino claimed victory in her signature event while Eid Naser settled for silver in 48.53s.

Paulino repeated the feat at the Paris Diamond League this year and also finished ahead of Naser in the Grand Slam Miami. In another rematch at the GST Kingston stop, the Nigerian-Bahranian athlete secured the win, leaving Paulino in second.

#4. Dina Asher and Brittany Brown in the 200m

Asher-Smith and Brown's clash will also be one for the thrill. The two faced each other at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, with Asher-Smith winning in 21.88s and Brown trailing in silver with a time of 22.22s.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the latter clinched a third-place finish while the Brit narrowly missed the podium and finished fourth.

#5. Tobi Amusan and Kendra Harrison

Amusan and Harrison locked horns in the Silesia Diamond League in 2023. The former narrowly defeated Harrison for the win. They also shared the 100m hurdles line at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, where the American hurdler won bronze while the Nigerian faded to sixth.