IAAF makes sweeping changes to Diamond league

The 5,000m race is among events that have been scrapped after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) made some sweeping changes in the Diamond League starting next year.

The meetings have been reduced from 14 to 12 and now have 24 disciplines, a reduction from the 32 with the longest distance being 3,000m.

The IAAF noted in a statement after a Council session in Doha on Monday that the evaluation criteria introduced in 2018 will be used at the end of the season to assess the quality of each meeting.

“This is with the aim of focusing the IAAF Diamond League on the very best 12 meetings going forward with one end-of-season finale,” IAAF President Sebastian Coe said in a statement.

Currently there are 14 events in the Diamond League Series that include the two finals that are held in the last two events in Zurich and Brussels.

The IAAF Council passed that there will be 24 disciplines; 12 male and 12 female that will form the core disciplines at all 12 meetings that will develop an enhanced single final event which features all core 24 disciplines.

The IAAF also want to focus on innovation around out-of-stadium and the city centres where field events will be held so that fans can get closer to the action.

The IAAF will work with their Rights Holding and Host Broadcasters on a faster paced 90-minute television event that will link the 12 events and the athlete’s points so fans can easily follow the road to a single final at the end of the season.

The global athletics body will also review the World Rankings process and reformed Global Calendar to support and protect the circuit so that the world’s top athletes have the incentive to compete more regularly which we know our fans want more than anything else.

“Create a tiered prize money system that provides more reward for athletes and greater clarity on potential earnings across the season,” added the IAAF boss.

“The IAAF Diamond League is the way millions of sports fans engage with athletics on a top level every year. It is a strong circuit that is celebrating its 10th year but we can make it even stronger and more relevant to the world our athletes and our fans live in today.”

“Change is never easy but should, wherever possible, be done from a position of strength which is what we have done,” stated Coe.

Coe thanked the Working Group, jointly chaired by Jon Ridgeon and Christoph Joho, the Diamond League Board and all the meeting directors for the work they put in over the last year to take stock of all that we have achieved over the last 10 years.

“They have shared the new innovate ideas to evolve this elite circuit of quality events that attract the best athletes which in turn gives our fans a compelling reason to tune in and follow their stars over the next decade and beyond,” said Coe.