Memorable moments from the 2022 Diamond League

More than 1000 athletes from 88 countries took part in the 13 Wanda Diamond League meetings in 2022, their performances including seven area records and 55 national senior records.

The series, which started in Doha in May and ended in Zurich in September, also featured 194 personal bests. Weltklasse Zurich welcomed athletes for the Final and was the season’s top Diamond League meeting when it comes to competition performance rankings.

Here we highlight some of the memorable moments from another action-packed season.

Ooredoo Doha Meeting, Doha, 13-14 May

On an evening where strong winds hampered proceedings, Anderson Peters prevailed in a thrilling javelin contest with a sensational 93.07m winning throw. Returning to the city where he won the world title in 2019, the Grenadian threw 93.07m to move to fifth on the world all-time list, breaking the North & Central American and Caribbean record in the process.

Diamond League Meeting, Birmingham, 21 May 

Kristjan Ceh and Malaika Mihambo were among the athletes to impress on a day when four meeting records fell at the Alexander Stadium. Ceh threw 71.27m to win the discus, improving his best by almost a metre to move to 10th on the world all-time list. Mihambo, meanwhile, leapt 7.09m to start her long jump season in style.

Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, 27-28 May

In a fierce 400m clash, Michael Norman produced a standout performance as he set a Diamond League record of 43.60 to beat Kirani James and Matthew Hudson-Smith. Faith Kipyegon was equally peerless when taking the women’s 1500m in commanding fashion, beating Gudaf Tsegay to win in a meeting record of 3:52.59.

Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athletisme de Rabat, Rabat, 5 June

The Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah was in pandemonium as local hero Soufiane El Bakkali won the steeplechase in a meeting record and world lead of 7:58.28, a mark that remained the best performance of the year.

Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, Rome, 9 June

Shericka Jackson secured the spotlight in a superb 200m showdown, setting a meeting record of 21.91, while Nicholas Kimeli stormed his way up the world 5000m all-time list with a 12:46.33 meeting record.

Bislett Games, Oslo, 16 June

A Diamond League record from Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the mile, along with meeting records from Mondo Duplantis in the pole vault and Femke Bol in the 400m hurdles, brightened a rainy evening at the Bislett Stadion. Ingebrigtsen won the mile in a Norwegian record of 3:46.46, while pole vault star Duplantis cleared 6.02m and Bol clocked 52.61 to win the 400m hurdles by more than two seconds.

Meeting de Paris, Paris, 18 June

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the 100m in 10.67, one of her record seven sub-10.70 100m races throughout the season, while Tobi Amusan danced in triumph after winning the 100m hurdles in an African record of 12.41. It would prove to be the ideal warm-up ahead of her world record at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

BAUHAUS-Galan, Stockholm, 30 June

Mondo Duplantis scaled 6.16m for what at that stage was the highest ever outdoor vault. The pole vault star would go on to add another 5cm to that mark, soaring a world record of 6.21m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Silesia, 6 August

After impressing in Paris, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce went even faster in Silesia, scorching to a 10.66 100m win at the first ever Diamond League meeting to take place in Poland. Alison Dos Santos, meanwhile, set a Polish all-comers' record of 47.80 to win the 400m hurdles.

Herculis EBS, Monaco, 10 August

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Faith Kipyegon continued their strong seasons in Monaco, while Thierry Ndikumwenayo produced the most surprising result of the meeting. Overhauling last year’s Diamond League champion Berihu Aregawi, Ndikumwenayo won the 3000m in a world-leading 7:25.93, a nine-second personal best, Diamond League record and Burundi record.

Athletissima, Lausanne, 25-26 August

The threatened storm stayed away but there were plenty of flashes of brilliance in Lausanne, where Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Joe Kovacs, Yulimar Rojas and Noah Lyles were among the athletes to light up the track and field. Ingebrigtsen ran 3:29.05 to win the 1500m, while Kovacs ended world record-holder Ryan Crouser’s shot put win streak. Rojas continued her dominance with another triple jump triumph and Lyles won in a clash between world champions, overpowering Michael Norman in the 200m.

Memorial van Damme, Brussels, 1-2 September

It was a night for the world silver medallists as Jacob Krop, Yarsolava Mahuchikh and Kara Winger all won their respective events, Krop running 12:45.71 to move to sixth on the world 5000m all-time list, Mahuchikh clearing 2.05m for the best outdoor high jump performance of her career so far and Winger throwing a US javelin record of 68.11m.

Weltklasse, Zurich, 7-8 September

The action-packed two-day final ensured that the Diamond League season ended on a high. Day one’s street event included a 23.23m throw by Joe Kovacs in a superb shot put showdown on Sechselautenplatz, while day two at the Letzigrund Stadium saw Tobi Amusan and Noah Lyles break long-standing Weltklasse meeting records that had previously been held by legends of the sport. Mondo Duplantis and Yulimar Rojas were also among the winners as they retained their Diamond League titles with dominant performances.