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| Diamond League Final | |
|---|---|
| Name | Diamond League Final |
| Sport | Athletics (track and field) |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Organizer | World Athletics |
| Level | International |
| Qualification | Season ranking |
| Venue | Various |
Diamond League Final
The Diamond League Final is the culminating meeting of the Diamond League (athletics) series, bringing together top athletes from the World Athletics Continental Tour, World Athletics Championships, Olympic Games, IAAF World Indoor Championships, and leading national championships. The Final concludes a season that includes invitational meetings such as the Prefontaine Classic, Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, Bislett Games, Memorial Van Damme, and the London Anniversary Games. Organized under the auspices of World Athletics and produced alongside promoters like European Athletics and local organizing committees, the Final determines season champions and awards substantial prize money.
The inception of the Final followed the 2010 reorganization of the IAAF Diamond League by Sebastian Coe's administration and the IAAF Council to replace the IAAF Golden League. Early Finals were influenced by legacy meetings such as the Herculis Meeting and the Memorial Van Damme, consolidating elite fields from meetings like the Meeting Areva (Paris) and the ISTAF Berlin. Over time, governance shifted with reforms from World Athletics leadership including Lamine Diack's successors and guidance from the Athletics Integrity Unit. The Final's place on the seasonal calendar evolved alongside the World Athletics Championships schedule and the Olympic Games cycle.
The Final mirrors formats established at meetings like the Prefontaine Classic and Diamond League (meeting), featuring track disciplines such as the 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres, 1500 metres, 5000 metres, 110 metres hurdles, 400 metres hurdles and field events including the long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, and javelin throw. Competition structure follows a points-to-finals approach used in series like the Golden League and IAAF World Challenge, with seeded heats and straight finals akin to the World Athletics Indoor Championships format. Technical rules align with the World Athletics Competition Rules and the event employs officials certified by World Athletics and national federations such as USA Track & Field and UK Athletics.
Program composition varies by edition but typically includes sprints, hurdles, middle-distance, long-distance, horizontal jumps, vertical jumps, and throws comparable to the program at the European Athletics Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Exhibition or mixed relay races, inspired by the World Athletics Relays, have appeared alongside core events. Event scheduling often accounts for television windows favored by broadcasters like BBC Sport, NBC Sports and Eurosport, and aligns with qualification timelines for championships such as the World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games.
Qualification is determined by Diamond League season standings accrued at meetings including the Meeting de Paris, Galan, Sainsbury's Anniversary Games, Shanghai Golden Grand Prix, and Athletissima. Points systems echo those used historically in the IAAF World Rankings and seasonal circuits like the European Athletics Permit Meetings. Athletes earn points, wildcards, or invitations from national federations such as the Kenyan Athletics Federation and the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association, with final entry quotas controlled by World Athletics and meeting organizers. Scoring for the season title has alternated between cumulative points and winner-takes-all formats paralleling shifts seen in the IAAF Diamond League governance.
The Final has showcased remarkable results from athletes affiliated with federations like USA Track & Field, Jamaica's federations, Kenya, Ethiopia, and China Athletics Association. Notable competitors who have delivered Finals performances include Usain Bolt in comparable Diamond League meetings, Allyson Felix in 400 m events, Yelena Isinbayeva in pole vault, Asafa Powell in sprints, Hicham El Guerrouj-era middle-distance benchmarks, Mo Farah in distance races, Sifan Hassan in middle-distance races, Renaud Lavillenie in pole vault, Christian Coleman in sprints, and Genzebe Dibaba in 1500 m. Championship-caliber marks at Finals have approached or surpassed meeting records set at the Memorial Van Damme and the Herculis Meeting, with world-leading performances tracked by World Athletics statisticians.
Editions have been hosted at stadia used for major meetings and championships, including the King Baudouin Stadium, Hayward Field, Stadio Olimpico, Letzigrund Stadium, IAAF World Athletics Championships (venues), Zagreb, Gothenburg, Zurich's Letzigrund, and Brussels's venues where the Memorial Van Damme is staged. The Final has alternated locations depending on commercial partnerships with promoters from Global Athletics & Company and local organizing committees that previously coordinated meetings like the Stockholm Bauhaus Athletics and the Oslo Bislett Games.
Media rights have been negotiated with broadcasters including BBC Sport, Eurosport, NBC Sports, Sky Sports, and streaming partners tied to World Athletics's digital platforms. Coverage strategies mirror those of the World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games, incorporating live television, delayed highlights, and social media feeds managed by World Athletics and promoters. Prize money structures draw on precedents from the IAAF Golden League and offer significant purses to winners, with season titles awarding bonuses and appearance fees similar to compensation schemes at the Prefontaine Classic and the London Anniversary Games.
Category:Athletics competitions