This week marks the last of the non-final diamond league meetings of the 2022 Wanda Diamond League series with the Brussels Diamond League happening on 2nd September. Most athletes will be trying their last luck to make it to the finals that will happen at the Zurich Diamond League on the 7th and 8th of September.
The season, in a process where the best would get points that will qualify them for the final meeting, is finally bringing together the best athletes in the world to meet in what promises to yield some memorable battles for the diamond league trophies at the finals.
While some athletes already feel safe with the points they have already garnered to secure a spot in the finals, like Noah Lyles in the men’s 200m event who already has 24 points having won in three meetings, others will be hoping to maintain their advantage in Brussels.
With 15 points so far and leading in the standings, Winfred Yavi of Bahrain will be the woman to watch in the women’s 3000m steeplechase race having won the Paris Diamond League meeting and finished second at the Eugene diamond league meeting.
But with Ethiopia’s Werkuha Getachew and Mekides Abebe who finished second and third respectively at the World Championships in Oregon, and Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech who holds the world record, it will be a tough race for Yavi.
It may not be all about points as there is some good prize money in the individual diamond league races as well. At every series meet a total of $25,000 is available for each discipline, paid out to the first 8 places as $10K, $6K, $3.5K, $2K, $1.25K, $1K, $750, $500.
With 5 wins already and 40 points so far, Brazil’s world reigning champion, Alison Dos Santos will be there to add more colors to such a beautiful year he has had in the men’s 400m Hurdles event.
There will be an exciting women’s 100m race with Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson against USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson. This happens after Richardson defeated Thompson Herah at the Spitzen Leichtathletik meeting in Luzern on Tuesday (30).
There will also be a world record attempt for the 1hr run of 21,330m on the same track currently held by Mo Farrah. Kenya’s former world half marathon record holder, Kibiwott Kandie is seen as the favorite to go for the record.
20-year-old Deribe Welteji of Ethiopia will be the runner to watch in the women’s 1500m race as she takes on Laura Muir who happens to have the fastest seasonal best time of 3:55.28.
In the men’s 5000m race, two medalists from the world championships will be in action. In a quality field, Uganda’s Oscar Chelimo will be seeking to avenge Kenya’s Jacob Krop who won silver ahead of him in Oregon.
The men’s 800m race where all the medalists from Oregon will be in action will arguably be one of the most competitive races of the evening as Emmanuel Korir seeks to repeat his win against Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati and Canada’s Marco Arop.
Each of the disciplines on the diamond league circuit is staged seven times with the top eight athletes being awarded the same amount of points at each meeting. Athletes are awarded 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 point for ranking 1st to 8th respectively. The top 6 in the field events, the top eight for 100m-800m, and the top 10 for 1500m and long distances will qualify for the final. In case of a tie, the best legal performance of the qualification phase wins.
The winner of each of the 32 Diamond League disciplines at the final will become the Diamond League Champion and be awarded a Diamond Trophy, USD 30'000 prize money, and a wild card for the World Athletics Championships in 2023.
Other top ten athletes, besides the winner, will share another $30,000 in the following order: $12K, $7K, $4K, $2.5K, $2K, $1.5K, and $1K respectively.