Diamond trophies (© Getty Images)
As the IAAF Diamond League heads into its 10th year, the IAAF Diamond League Board and Meeting Directors, together with the IAAF have been reviewing the future of the Diamond League from 2020 onwards. Today the IAAF Council approved the core principles set out and agreed by the Diamond League Board and meeting directors at their General Assembly two weeks ago.
The goal of the year-long review, which included detailed research and discussions with athletes, coaches, fans and broadcasters, was to bring together the very best one day meetings in a high quality annual international circuit which gives athletes a compelling and rewarding reason to compete; a more consistent, action packed format for broadcasters and provides fans with a persuasive reason to come back to the sport week in and week out to follow the star athletes as they gain points to qualify for an exciting end of season final.
“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,” said IAAF President Sebastian Coe.
The 2020 IAAF Diamond League will include the very best 12 meetings, based on the criteria developed in 2018, leading to a single final at the end of the season. An agreed 24 disciplines (12 male and 12 female) will run across the 12 meetings and the final, with the longest discipline being the 3000m. Each meeting will be broadcast globally in a faster-paced 90-minute television event which will link the events and the athletes’ points so fans can more readily follow the road to a single final at the end of the season.
“Change is never easy but should, wherever possible, be done from a position of strength which is what we have done,” states the IAAF President. “I want to thank the Working Group, jointly chaired by Jon Ridgeon and Christoph Joho, the Diamond League Board and all the meeting directors for the work they have put in over the last year to take stock of all that we have achieved over the last 10 years and share new innovative 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.”
2019 is the 10th Diamond League season and it is stronger than ever:
- There are 14 invitational meetings across Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and USA;
- It is athletics’ top annual global competition
- 789 athletes from 83 countries took part last year, with 34 countries producing winners during the 14-meeting series.
- It was broadcast to 360 million fans in over 172 territories worldwide in 2018
- There's US$8million in prize money for the athletes
In 2019 further refinement of the disciplines, the meetings, the points structure and the single final will be agreed.
IAAF Diamond League 2020
A circuit of the very best one day meetings across the same core disciplines for both men and women, where the top global athletes compete head to head for points that qualify them for a place in the season final. The winners of the IAAF Diamond League final are given automatic qualification to the World Championships.
The product
- The evaluation criteria introduced in 2018 will be used at the end of the season to assess the quality of each meeting with the aim of focusing the IAAF Diamond League on the very best 12 meetings going forward with one end-of-season final.
- An agreed 24 disciplines (12 male / 12 female) will form the core disciplines at all 12 meetings with the longest distance being 3000m. A reduction from the 32 disciplines there are now.
- Develop an enhanced single final event which features all core 24 disciplines (12 male and 12 female)
- A focus on innovation around out-of-stadium / city centre field events where fans can get closer to the action.
- Working with our 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 more easily follow the road to a single final at the end of the season.
- 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.
- Compensate relegated meetings and integrate them into the Continental Circuit of one-day meetings.
- A greater focus on digital content for athletes and fans to create an even stronger connection between the two.
- Ensure the Diamond League captures the very best athletes in exciting head to head clashes
