Mateusz Kolodziejski won the men’s high jump gold at the Diamond League Final in Brussels

Poland’s Mateusz Kolodziejski pulled off a stunning upset victory in the men’s high jump at the 2026 Diamond League Final. Clearing a height of 2.28 meters, the unheralded star out-jumped an elite field of global medalists to capture his first career Diamond Trophy. The vertical showdown took place on Friday, September 4, providing an electrifying opening night to the 50th-anniversary edition of the Allianz Memorial van Damme in Brussels.

Entering the King Baudouin Stadium, Mateusz Kolodziejski was widely considered an underdog against the sport’s established heavyweights. However, the Polish jumper exhibited supreme composure on the runway. He executed a flawless operational strategy, managing early heights smoothly to minimize missed attempts.

When the crossbar rose to 2.28 meters, the pressure mounted on the entire field. Mateusz Kolodziejski rose to the occasion, clearing the bar cleanly on his very first attempt. This immediate success proved decisive in the tournament’s overall standings.

The remainder of the world-class field struggled with consistency at the critical 2.28-meter threshold. JuVaughn Harrison of the United States matched Mateusz Kolodziejski by ultimately clearing 2.28 meters, but the American had to settle for the silver medal based on countback rules due to earlier missed attempts.

The battle for the final podium spot resulted in a rare tie. Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk and Italy’s reigning global icon Gianmarco Tamberi both topped out at 2.25 meters, sharing the third-place bronze position. Mateusz Kolodziejski’s victory was made even more impressive by the fact that he successfully dethroned Tamberi, a three-time Diamond League champion who ran out of answers late in the progression.

The season-ending Allianz Memorial van Damme serves as a winner-takes-all championship where regular-season points are fully erased. By altering the historical hierarchy under the bright stadium lights, Mateusz Kolodziejski has significantly disrupted global expectations.

His performance serves as an important lesson in elite vertical jumping, proving that execution under pressure is more valuable than past credentials. As the international track circuit transitions to its final global matchups of the year, the men’s high jump landscape stands completely wide open.