The outdoor athletics season is underway and the world’s best track and field athletes are ready to compete in this year’s Diamond League.
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the elite track and field series before its first stop in Xiamen, China, on Saturday.
What is the Diamond League?
The Diamond League is a series of 15 elite athletics meets that take place in 13 different countries spread across four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America). This year’s season runs from April through August.
What events are contested?
There are 32 different disciplines (16 for men and 16 for women) over the season, with each discipline contested a total of seven times over 14 meets. Here is a full list of the events included this season:
- 100m
- 200m
- 400m
- 800m
- 1,500m
- 3,000m / 5,000m
- 110m hurdles (men), 100m hurdles (women)
- 400m hurdles
- 3,000m steeplechase
- High jump
- Pole vault
- Long jump
- Triple jump
- Discus
- Shot put
- Javelin
What’s on the line?
The athletes compete for two things at each event: prize money (more on that below) and points.
The points are awarded in relation to their performance, and if they accumulate enough, it will qualify them for the two-day Diamond League Final. That’s the 15th and final event of the season, where even more prize money is on the line, plus the title of Diamond League champion.
How does the points system work?
When an athlete competes at a Diamond League event, they will earn points relative to their result. Here’s a breakdown:
- 1st place: Eight points
- 2nd place: Seven points
- 3rd place: Six points
- 4th place: Five points
- 5th place: Four points
- 6th place: Three points
- 7th place: Two points
- 8th place: One point
Athletes are looking to accumulate enough points to reach the Diamond League Final and compete to be crowned the overall season champion.
There are different allotments in the final, depending on the discipline:
- For the 100m-800m events, the top-eight point-getters will make the final
- In the 1,500m and long-distance events, the final will include the top-10 point-getters
- The field events will see the top-six point-getters make the final
How much money is at stake?
The Diamond League will offer up a new league-record $9.24 million US in total prize money this season. All prize money is entirely gender-equal, with exactly the same rates for men’s and women’s athletes in each discipline.
This is the breakdown in prize money for each Diamond Discipline event (all figures in US):
| Placement | Series Meeting | Final |
| 1st place | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| 2nd place | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| 3rd place | $4,000 | $7,000 |
| 4th place | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| 5th place | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| 6th place | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| 7th place | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| 8th place | $1,000 | $1,000 |
This season will also feature a select number of “Diamond+ Disciplines” – four at the series meetings and eight at the Final – in which athletes can earn higher prize money. Top prizes range from $30,000 for wins at series meetings and $50,000 for Diamond League Final winners.
When and where are the meets happening?
There are 15 meets this season, including the final. Here is the full schedule of Diamond League events this season:
| Date | Meeting | City |
| April 26 | Wanda Diamond League Xiamen | Xiamen, China |
| May 3 | Yangtze River Delta Athletics Diamond Gala | Shaoxing/Keqiao, China |
| May 16 | Doha Meeting | Doha, Qatar |
| May 25 | Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme de Rabat | Rabat, Morocco |
| June 6 | Golden Gala | Rome |
| June 12 | Oslo Bislett Games | Oslo |
| June 15 | BAUHAUS-Galan | Stockholm |
| June 20 | Meeting de Paris | Paris |
| July 5 | Prefontaine Classic | Eugene, Ore. |
| July 11 | Meeting International d’Athlétisme Herculis EBS | Monaco |
| July 19 | London Athletics Meet | London |
| Aug. 16 | Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial | Chorzów, Poland |
| Aug. 20 | Athletissima Lausanne | Lausanne |
| Aug. 22 | Memorial van Damme | Brussels |
| Aug. 27-28 | Weltklasse Zürich (Diamond League Final) | Zurich |
What’s different about this Diamond League season?
There are two wrinkles to this season, beginning with the fact that it’s a world-championship year. Not only does that mean that the Diamond League can be used as a means of sharpening skills ahead of worlds, it also provides a pathway of reaching them. The winner of the final in each respective discipline is granted a spot in the world championships (with a few exceptions).
The other change to this season is the emergence of another track league that’s attracted high-calibre talent. Grand Slam Track began operation this year, with four meets on their competition calendar.
While many elite track and field athletes will compete in Grand Slam Track, involvement in that league doesn’t limit their availability to compete anywhere else, including the Diamond League.
Which Canadian athletes are competing?
Shot put star Sarah Mitton will begin her quest to repeat as the Diamond League Final winner when she competes at the first stop of the season in Xiamen, China, on Saturday (7 a.m. ET, CBCSports.ca, CBC Gem). Mitton, of Brooklyn, N.S., is fresh off her second world indoor title, and the only Canadian scheduled for the Xiamen meet.
Other Canadians competing at future Diamond League stops will be confirmed as start lists are released.
If last year is any indication, there will be robust representation from Canada. Last year’s participants included world-renowned athletes such as sprinter Andre De Grasse, pole vaulter Alysha Newman, and 800m specialist Marco Arop.
Who are the other big names to watch for?
Olympic and world champions abound at this year’s Diamond League series. That includes men’s pole vault world and Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis, women’s 1,500m Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, 400m hurdles world champion Karsten Warholm, and women’s 100m world champion Sha’Carri Richardson.
How do you watch the events?
All Diamond League events will stream live on CBCSports.ca and on CBC Gem.
There were also be several events broadcast on CBC Sports Presents on CBC TV and streaming on the CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem platforms. For a full broadcast schedule of athletics events this season, click here.
