How Will The Revamped 2021 Diamond League Work?

The world’s top athletes are ready for Diamond Trophy celebrations again in ’21 after missing out in ’20. (JIRO MOCHIZUKI)

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED… Whether the international federation is going by the name of IAAF or WA, Monaco continues to tinker with the format of its signature elite-pro series, the Wanda Diamond League.

Big changes were scheduled for last year (“The Diamond League Gets A Facelift,” November 2019), some events being removed from the program altogether and the broadcast window tightened.

These changes were not looked upon kindly by many athletes, with triple jumper Christian Taylor leading the charge.

WA eventually compromised, but the whole thing ended up not playing out properly as the pandemic wrought its havoc.

Which brings us to ’21. There are 14 meets, with the previous complement of 16 events in play for the end-of-season finale.

From ’10 through ’19 the season wrapped up in 2-part fashion, with half the events in Brussels, half in Zürich. For ’20 the plan was to have Zürich- only, which didn’t work out.

But ’21 will have just the one big finale, in the Swiss city. That will be a 2-day affair, with the first day featuring 7 street events.

Of the 13 meetings leading up to the Final, 11 will stage 14 events; Shanghai will have 15, Oslo 13. The staging of events will vary in number: 4 events will be held 8 times, 6 events 7 times, 3 events 6 times and 3 events (all throws) 5 times.

The hammer, walks and multis will continue to have their own Challenge series.

Overall, there will be $7M on offer in prize money. At every series meet a total of $25,000 will be available for each discipline. In the Final, the winner will receive $30,000, with another $30,000 spread among the other placers.

Additionally, a $500,000 bonus pot has been set aside for the “Best Performing Athletes” (those who deliver consistent, high-level performances throughout the season). There will be 10 award winners in total: 1 male and 1 female in the sprints, hurdles, distance events, jumps and throws.

A field event “innovation” that was tried last year and was met with less than universal acclaim is back in play.

The WA description: “To better promote the field events in an action-packed 2-hour schedule and give them their own stand-alone moments of focus and drama, a qualifying round followed by a final will be introduced for the long jump, triple jump, shot put, javelin and discus.

“This new format, called The Final 3, will mean that the three athletes with the longest jumps and throws in the qualifying rounds will come together in a final where all previous results will be cleared as they compete for 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-place, adding drama, jeopardy and excitement for stadium spectators and the millions of television fans around the world.”

Speaking of TV fans, the second day of Zürich’s Final is slated to have a 3-hour telecast, with the lead-in meets going back to a 2-hour window after last year’s contraction to just 90 minutes.

Here’s the composite list of all-time DL champions, 2010–19.


2021 Wanda Diamond League Sorted By Meet

The event distribution for ’21, noting that some meets may have “street events” on days before the official calendar date. Some 1500s will be run as Miles and some 3000s as 5000s.

Rabat (May 23)

Men’s 200, 1500, 3000, Steeple, PV, LJ, JT; Women’s 100, 400, 1500, 100H, HJ, TJ, SP

Doha (May 28)

Men’s 200,400, 800, 1500, 400H, HJ, SP; Women’s 100, 800, 3000, Steeple, PV, TJ, DT

Rome (June 04)

Men’s 100, 400, 3000, Steeple, 110H, HJ, SP; Women’s 200, 1500, 100H, 400H, PV, LJ, DT

Oslo (June 10)

Men’s 200, 1500, 3000, 400H, PV, TJ, DT; Women’s 100, 800, 3000, 400H, LJ, JT

Stockholm (July 04)

Men’s 100, 400, 800, 1500, 400H, PV, DT; Women’s 200, 800, Steeple, 400H, HJ, LJ, SP

Monaco (July 09)

Men’s 100, 800, 1500, Steeple, 400H, HJ, LJ; Women’s 200, 800, 1500, Steeple, PV, TJ, JT

London (July 13)

Men’s 100, 800, 3000, 110H, HJ, TJ, JT; Women’s 200, 400, 1500, 100H, 400H, PV, LJ

Shanghai (August 14)

Men’s 100, 400, 110H, 400H, HJ, LJ, TJ; Women’s 100, 400, 800, 3000, Steeple, PV, SP, JT

Eugene (August 21)

Men’s 100, 200, 800, 1500, 3000, TJ, SP; Women’s 100, 200, 1500, Steeple, 400H, HJ, PV

China2, site tbd (August 22)

Men’s 400, Steeple, 110H, 400H, HJ, LJ, DT; Women’s 400, 800, 3000, 100H, TJ, SP, JT

Lausanne (August 26)

Men’s 200, 800, 3000, 110H, PV, SP, JT; Women’s 100, 400, 1500, 400H, HJ, LJ, TJ

Paris (August 28)

Men’s 200, 800, Steeple, 110H, PV, TJ, JT; Women’s 100, 400, 3000, 100H, 400H, HJ, DT

Brussels (September 03)

Men’s 100, 400, 1500, 400H, PV, LJ, DT; Women’s 200, 800, 1500, 3000, 100H, HJ, DT

Zürich Final (September 08–09)

Men’s 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 3000, Steeple, 110H, 400H, HJ, PV, LJ, TJ, SP, DT, JT;

Women’s 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 3000, Steeple, 100H, 400H, HJ, PV, LJ, TJ, SP, DT, JT


2021 Wanda Diamond League Sorted By Event

The meets in each event are listed in the chronological order in which they will be contested. The number in parentheses represents how many meets will stage the event. OG = Olympic Games break.

MEN’S EVENTS

100 (8)

Rome, Stockholm, Monaco, London |OG| Shanghai, Eugene, Brussels, Zürich

200 (7)

Rabat, Doha, Oslo |OG| Eugene, Lausanne, Paris, Zürich

400 (7)

Doha, Rome, Stockholm |OG| Shanghai, China2, Brussels, Zürich

800 (8)

Doha, Stockholm, Monaco, London |OG| Eugene, Lausanne, Paris, Zürich

1500 (8)

Rabat, Doha, Oslo, Stockholm, Monaco |OG| Eugene, Brussels, Zürich

3000 (7)

Rabat, Rome, Oslo, London |OG| Eugene, Lausanne, Zürich

Steeple (6)

Rabat, Rome, Monaco |OG| China2, Paris, Zürich

110 Hurdles (7)

Rome, London |OG| Shanghai, China2, Lausanne, Paris, Zürich

400 Hurdles (8)

Doha, Oslo, Stockholm, Monaco |OG| Shanghai, China2, Brussels, Zürich

High Jump (7)

Doha, Rome, Monaco, London |OG| Shanghai, China2, Zürich

Pole Vault (7)

Rabat, Oslo, Stockholm |OG| Lausanne, Paris, Brussels, Zürich

Long Jump (6)

Rabat, Monaco |OG| Shanghai, China2, Brussels, Zürich

Triple Jump (6)

Oslo, London |OG| Shanghai, Eugene, Paris, Zürich

Shot (5)

Doha, Rome |OG| Eugene, Lausanne, Zürich

Discus (5)

Oslo, Stockholm |OG| China2, Brussels, Zürich

Javelin (5)

Rabat, London |OG| Lausanne, Paris, Zürich


WOMEN’S EVENTS

100 (8)

Rabat, Doha, Oslo |OG| Shanghai, Eugene, Lausanne, Paris, Zürich

200 (7)

Rome, Stockholm, Monaco, London |OG| Eugene, Brussels, Zürich

400 (7)

Rabat, London |OG| Shanghai, China2, Lausanne, Paris, Zürich

800 (8)

Doha, Oslo, Stockholm, Monaco |OG| Shanghai, China2, Brussels, Zürich

1500 (8)

Rabat, Rome, Monaco, London |OG| Eugene, Lausanne, Brussels, Zürich

3000 (7)

Doha, Oslo |OG|, Shanghai, China2, Paris, Brussels, Zürich

Steeple (6)

Doha, Stockholm, Monaco |OG| Shanghai, Eugene, Zürich

100 Hurdles (7)

Rabat, Rome, London |OG| China2, Paris, Brussels, Zürich

400 Hurdles (8)

Rome, Oslo, Stockholm, London |OG| Eugene, Lausanne, Paris, Zürich

High Jump (7)

Rabat, Stockholm |OG| Eugene, Lausanne, Paris, Brussels, Zürich

Pole Vault (7)

Doha, Monaco, Rome, London |OG| Shanghai, Eugene, Zürich

Long Jump (6)

Rome, Oslo, Stockholm, London |OG| Lausanne, Zürich

Triple Jump (6)

Rabat, Doha, Monaco |OG| China2, Lausanne, Zürich

Shot (5)

Rabat, Stockholm |OG| Shanghai, China2, Zürich

Discus (5)

Doha, Rome |OG| Paris, Brussels, Zürich

Javelin (5)

Oslo, Monaco |OG| Shanghai, China2, Zürich

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