Ten-Year Title Sponsor partnership from 2020 heralds a new era for the Diamond League athletics global showcase series… Partnership with Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group to accelerate development of athletics and bring new top-class IAAF events to China Chinese multinational conglomerate Wanda Group will become the title partner of the Diamond League for ten years from […]
via IAAF ANNOUNCES WANDA GROUP IN LANDMARK TITLE SPONSORSHIP OF DIAMOND LEAGUE — finixsportsblog
As the IAAF Diamond League heads into its 10th year, the IAAF Diamond League Board and Meeting Directors, together with the IAAF have been reviewing the future of the Diamond League from 2020 onwards. Today the IAAF Council approved the core principles set out and agreed by the Diamond League Board and meeting directors at […]
via IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE 2020 CONCEPT APPROVED BY COUNCIL — finixsportsblog
On a night of sensational running at a hot and humid Stade Louis II, Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech produced the crowning performance of the tenth IAAF Diamond League meeting of the season as she took more than eight seconds off the women’s world 3000m steeplechase record*, coming home, alone and triumphant, in 8:44.32. It obliterated the […]
via “I CAN RUN FASTER” CHEPKOECH – NEW WORLD RECORD-HOLDER — newfanzoneblog
The IAAF Diamond League has reached the half-way point in the road to the final. Six meetings have already taken place this year and there are six more to go before the series reaches its climax at the finals in Zurich and Brussels at the end of August. Already this year there has been several […]
The General Assembly of the IAAF Diamond League met today in London’s Olympic stadium to review the 2017 season and the structure of the sport’s top tier one-day meeting circuit from 2020 and beyond. The 2017 season marked the first stage of a fundamental restructuring of the IAAF Diamond League which adopted a championship-style model […]
via FUTURE OF IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE PART OF THE ONGOING REVOLUTION IN ATHLETICS — newfanzoneblog
In one month’s time, the IAAF Diamond League gets underway in Doha with the first meeting of the 2017 series being held on 5 May. In its biggest restructure since the series began in 2010, this year’s IAAF Diamond League will adopt a championship-style model whereby athletes earn points at the first 12 meetings to […]
via IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE – NEW FORMAT AND SCORING SYSTEM EXPLAINED — newfanzoneblog
The 2016 IAAF Diamond League starts in two weeks’ time and the excitement is already starting to mount. The traditional opening meeting in Doha has assembled some of the sport’s top stars to get proceedings underway for the seventh year of the series. World champions Allyson Felix, Christian Taylor, Dafne Schippers and Almaz Ayana are […]
via FANTASY DIAMOND RACE RETURNS FOR 2016 – IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE — newfanzoneblog
The General Assembly of the Diamond League meeting yesterday in Zurich, Switzerland has decided to include Rabat, Morocco as a new host city for the prestigious global series of one-day athletics meetings.
The Meeting International Mohammed VI, which is annually held in the Moroccan capital’s Complexe Prince Moulay Abdellah, replaces New York, USA with immediate effect for the 2016 season.
Launched in March 2009, the IAAF Diamond League – which features the world´s best athletes competing across 32 individual track and field disciplines – has for its first six competition seasons (2010-2015) included host cities in Asia, Europe, and North America. With the addition of Rabat, the series of 14 meetings – which annually takes place from May to September – now includes a fourth continent, Africa.
Rabat first applied for membership of the IAAF Diamond League in 2014 and has since undergone a rigorous evaluation process to confirm its organisation, facilities and services were of a high enough standard for inclusion into athletics’ top-tier international invitational circuit.
Sebastian Coe, IAAF President and Chairman of Diamond League AG, commented: “We are pleased to be able to take our premier athletics series into a new continental area. The IAAF Diamond League offers the best athletics entertainment to the world outside of the IAAF World Championships and the Olympic Games. Broadcast annually in more than 120 countries, the series provides athletics with its next most prominent global shop window. We thank New York for contributing to this great project during the past six seasons and know that they will continue to support athletics in the future. We proudly welcome the inclusion of Rabat.”
Mark Wetmore, Meeting Director New York, commented: “It’s been a great run on Randall’s Island, New York, and now we’re looking ahead to producing a new event. As we look forward, we believe that changing our focus to a street meet is one way to make the event attractive to a younger audience.”
Abdeslam Ahizoune, FRMA President / Meeting Director Rabat, commented: “This is a proud moment for our country’s athletics community and for the international reputation of Moroccan sport in general. The inclusion of our meeting in the IAAF Diamond League is a clear affirmation of the ability of our country to deliver the highest international standard sports product.”
2016 IAAF Diamond League calendar
6 May – Doha, QAT
14 May – Shanghai, CHN
22 May – Rabat, MAR
28 May – Eugene, USA
2 Jun – Rome, ITA
5 Jun – Birmingham, GBR
9 Jun – Oslo, NOR
16 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
15 Jul – Monaco, MON
22-23 Jul – London, GBR
25 Aug – Lausanne, SUI
27 Aug – Paris, FRA
1 Sep – Zurich, SUI
9 Sep – Brussels, BEL
IAAF President Sebastian Coe and fellow IAAF Council Member Anna Riccardi were unanimously elected by the General Assembly on Sunday (29) to become Board Members of the Diamond League AG, the company which owns and operates the IAAF Diamond League.
The General Assembly of the Diamond League AG, is composed of representatives of the IAAF and the 14 meeting organisations whose competitions make up the calendar of the IAAF Diamond League, Athletics’ top tier invitational circuit.
The Board is composed of six persons, three members represent the meetings and three represent the IAAF.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe becomes Chairman of the Board and Anna Riccardi is the second IAAF representative.
A third IAAF Board member will be proposed to the General Assembly ahead of its next meeting and full Board elections in March 2016. The three current representatives of the meetings on the Board are Patrick Magyar (SUI), Wilfried Meert (BEL) and Jean-Pierre Schoebel (MON).
During Sunday’s meeting the General Assembly agreed proposals to establish workshops to discuss the future development and format of the series.
This process is part of a wider strategic study of Athletics’ competition structure which will involve three newly formed Special Advisory Groups: One-Day Meetings, Competition Calendar and World Athletics Series Renovation.
IAAF President and Diamond League AG Chairman Sebastian Coe commented: “The IAAF Diamond League annually provides Athletics with a prominent global shop window. The 14 meeting series which runs from May to September offers fans the best international Athletics competition outside the IAAF World Championships and the Olympic Games. I am really looking forward to reviewing this top product with the meeting organisers who are our close partners in this series. Together we intend to take this popular invitational tour to the next level of sporting excellence and entertainment.”
IAAF
The IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 is over. But the show goes on. There is more top-level athletics to be enjoyed over the next two weeks with the IAAF Diamond League finals in Zurich and Brussels.
All season long, the world’s top track and field stars have vied for valuable Diamond Race points in the first 12 IAAF Diamond League meetings. Even with just the two finals to go, however, much could still change. Double points are on offer in the finals, meaning only an eight-point lead at this stage guarantees overall victory in the Diamond Race.
The finals are the perfect conclusion to the 2015 season. They are a chance for the victors of Beijing to garner yet more success. A chance for those who were disappointed to claim redemption. A chance for all athletes to get their hands on a $40,000 cash prize and the spectacular Diamond Trophy.
New Diamond Race champions to be crowned
The first of the two finals takes place on Thursday 3 September in Zurich. At the Weltklasse meeting, 16 different Diamond Races will reach their ultimate conclusion, and the first 16 Diamond Race champions of 2015 will be crowned.
Among them will almost certainly be Christina Schwanitz, Tianna Bartoletta and Eunice Sum, who have all been imperious in this season’s Diamond Race.
Both shot putter Schwanitz and 800m runner Sum have won four out of six Diamond League clashes this season, while long jumper Bartoletta has three wins to her name, her points tally bolstered by second-place finishes in New York and Monaco.
All three athletes now have a lead of eight points or more, meaning that they only need to compete in Zurich in order to claim the Diamond Trophy.
But in many of the disciplines which will conclude in Zurich, there is barely a hair’s breadth between those still in the running for the Diamond Trophy.
In the men’s 200m, there have been four different victors over the six races so far, leading to a field so open that it is led by a man who hasn’t a single victory to his name. Anaso Jobodwana has finished second four times this year. He is now on nine points, just a whisker ahead of Alonso Edward and Zharnel Hughes.
The men’s 400m is nearly as close. The first half of the season was dominated by Diamond Trophy holder Kirani James, but after his shock defeat in Paris to Wayde van Niekerk, the Olympic champion has seen his lead shortened dramatically. He is now just two points ahead of the young South African.
Two other world champions who will be gunning for the Diamond Trophy in Zurich are Asbel Kiprop and Zuzana Hejnova. Kiprop is third in the men’s 1500m Diamond Race, having been outgunned so far by Ayanleh Souleiman and Silas Kiplagat. With only a two-point gap between him and the top, though, the newly re-crowned world champion will be confident of winning the Diamond Trophy.
Hejnova, meanwhile, overturned Kaliese Spencer’s 10-point lead with three straight wins since Paris. She is now two points ahead of Spencer, and the battle between the two of them is one to look forward to in Zurich.
Favourites can still fall
There is a wealth of athletes who remain agonisingly close to Diamond Race glory. Steeplechaser Jairus Birech and pole vaulter Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou have leads of seven and six points in their respective Diamond Races. Despite both failing to win gold in Beijing, they are both expected to take the Diamond Trophy. Piotr Malachowski, who is six points ahead in the men’s discus, is in a similar position.
Others are less certain of success. Greg Rutherford has had to fight at times this season, but the new world champion has come out on top with a five-point lead in the men’s long jump. The same goes for Mutaz Essa Barshim, whose disappointment in Beijing mirrored his travails in the Diamond Race since Oslo after an early period of dominance.
Genzebe Dibaba and Barbara Spotakova may also have expected to be sitting more comfortably in their Diamond Races by this stage. Dibaba only has a six-point lead in the women’s 5000m to show for her excellent season, while three-time Diamond Race winner Spotakova has been challenged by an open field, and holds a lead of only four points.
Leads of four, five, six or seven points are perhaps the best illustrations of the excitement of the Diamond Race. Those holding them have had to work all season to establish their advantage, yet one bad performance in Zurich could see them blown away in an instant.
With just a few days to go before action kicks off at the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015, fans can get even more immersed in the excitement through the IAAF’s Fantasy World Championships game.
Throughout this summer, the IAAF Fantasy Diamond Race has offered athletics fans all over the world the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the sport by predicting which athletes will perform best at each of the IAAF Diamond League meetings.
The IAAF Fantasy World Championships game works in a similar way, as players are required to identify a squad of athletes who they believe are destined for glory in Beijing. There are no restrictions in terms of countries, event groups or gender.
Each squad must be composed of nine athletes, one of whom is the designated team captain. Athletes score points depending upon their final positions and whether they produce world, area or championship records, with the team captain scoring double.
At the end of the championships, the overall top finisher will win a trip for two people to the International Athletics Foundation Gala in Monaco in November.
But hurry, because entries close at 23:00 UTC on 1 August.
For more information and to register, head to FantasyBeijing2015.com.
IAAF
The season-long marathon is nearly over; it is time for the sprint on the home straight.
In London and Stockholm, the last few points were gathered before September’s IAAF Diamond League finals, and the scene is set for an exhilarating climax to the 2015 season. Events in the past week have provided proof that, in the Diamond Race, anything can happen.
Take Anaso Jobodwana, for example. After briefly losing his Diamond Race lead to Zharnel Hughes in London, the South African’s second-place finish in Stockholm means that he once again tops the table in the men’s 200m Diamond Race, despite not having won a single race in the IAAF Diamond League this year. In five out of six meetings, though, Jobodwana has finished in the top three. Top spot is a fitting reward for his consistency.
Piotr Malachowski, too, knows the value of consistent performance. Having struggled to shake off Robert Urbanek despite repeated victories, Malachowski finally put daylight between himself and his compatriot with a win in Stockholm. He now leads the men’s discus Diamond Race on 17 points to Urbanek’s 11.
Stockholm also saw Greg Rutherford finally establish a lead which should see him take his first Diamond Trophy. By far the stand-out performer in the men’s long jump Diamond Race this season, Rutherford’s defeat in London meant that his lead remained achingly slender. The Brit came back fighting in Sweden, though, to claim victory and a five-point advantage at the top of the table.
Five points is also the lead held by Mutaz Essa Barshim in the men’s high jump Diamond Race, though Barshim will be less content than Rutherford with that advantage. The Diamond Trophy holder has failed to fully impose himself on this year’s Diamond Race, and it is only by virtue of the fact that Marco Fassinotti and Jacorian Duffield shared the victories in London and Stockholm that he remains so clearly ahead.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou, meanwhile, extended their leads with victories in Stockholm and London respectively. Fraser-Pryce leads the women’s 100m table by four points, while Kyriakopoulou has held off main rival Fabiana Murer in the women’s pole vault to grasp a six-point lead.
In the women’s javelin, three-time Diamond Race winner Barbara Spotáková, who is looking this season to successfully defend the Diamond Trophy for the first time, made up for a slow start with victories in Paris and Stockholm. Her second place in London means she holds a four-point lead going into the final.
Even that seems a big lead when compared to Ayanleh Souleiman, who is now just one point clear of Silas Kiplagat and two of Asbel Kiprop in the men’s 1500m. Souleiman will nonetheless be happy with his position, having overtaken the two Kenyans for the first time this season with a win in Stockholm.
The 1500m is one of three Diamond Races in which four men could still claim the overall victory, alongside the 100m and the 110m hurdles. The latter has seen a late comeback from Orlando Ortega, with the Cuban wrapping up four points in Stockholm and closing in on leader David Oliver.
With 27 of the 32 Diamond Races still to be decided going into the finals, there are only a handful of athletes who have managed to fully dominate their fields this season. Caterine Ibargüen (women’s triple jump), Tianna Bartoletta (women’s long jump), Eunice Sum (women’s 800m), Christina Schwanitz (women’s shot put) and Sandra Perkovic (women’s discus) have all refused to falter this year, and need only turn up to the finals to claim the Diamond Trophy.
Their achievement is even greater considering how fragile even the largest of leads can be in the Diamond Race. Kaliese Spencer and Kirani James, for example, have seen their early season dominance evaporate into thin air over the past two meetings.
James’ lead was shortened to just two points after Wayde van Niekerk’s victory in the 400m in London, while Spencer had led the women’s 400m hurdles Diamond Race by ten points at the start of July. That was before Zuzana Hejnová stormed to three consecutive victories. The Czech is now two points ahead at the top of the table.
Those turnarounds are testament to the unpredictability of the Diamond Race. Few narratives have run as expected this year, and as the finals loom, there is a whole host of Diamond Race stories which are yet to reach their climax.
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