The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fifteen invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics one-day meet competitions.
The inaugural season was in 2010. It was designed to replace the IAAF Golden League, which had been held annually since 1998. The full sponsorship name is the Wanda Diamond League, the result of an agreement with Wanda Group that was announced in December 2019.
While the Golden League was formed to increase the profile of the leading European athletics competitions, the Diamond League's aim is to "enhance the worldwide appeal of athletics by going outside Europe for the first time." In addition to the original Golden League members (except Berlin) and other traditional European competitions, the series now includes events in China, Qatar, Morocco, and the United States.
Beginning in March 2022, after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Diamond League excluded Russian and Belarusian athletes from all of its track and field meetings.
Editions
EditionYearMeetsDiamondDisciplinesStart dateEnd date DohaShanghai (Suzhou / Shaoxing)OsloRome (Florence)New YorkEugene (Stanford)LausanneGreat BritainParisMonacoStockholmLondon (Glasgow / Gateshead / Birmingham)ZurichBrusselsRabat (Marrakesh)Chorzów (Silesia)Xiamen12010143214 May27 August 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 2201114326 May16 September 1 2 5 3 6 4 7 9 8 10 11 12 13 14 32012143211 May7 September 1 2 5 3 6 4 11 12 7 9 10 7 13 14 42013143210 May6 September 1 2 6 5 3 4 8 7 9 10 12 11 13 14 5201414329 May5 September 1 2 5 4 6 3 7 12 8 10 11 9 13 14 62015143215 May11 September 1 2 6 4 7 3 9 5 8 10 12 11 13 14 7201614326 May9 September 1 2 7 5 4 11 6 12 9 8 10 13 14 3 8201714325 May1 September 1 2 5 4 3 8 12 7 11 6 9 13 14 10 9201814324 May31 August 1 2 5 4 3 8 12 7 10 6 11 13 14 9 10201914323 May6 September 1 2 5 4 7 8 11 12 9 3 10 13 14 6 11202082411 June25 September 8 1 7 5 3 4 2 6 122021143223 May 9 September 2 4 3 8 9 1 10 6 5 7 12 11 132022133213 May 8 September 1 6 5 3 11 7 10 8 2 13 12 4 9 14202314325 May17 September 1 5 3 14 6 4 9 7 10 11 13 2 8 12 152024153220 April14 September 3 2 6 13 5 11 8 9 7 10 14 15 4 12 1 162025153226 April28 August 3 2 6 5 9 13 8 10 7 11 15 14 4 12 1 17202615328 May6 September7164 912 81051114153132182027153230 April27 August1276 513 91081115144123 The number in the table represents the order in which the meeting took place.
Format Scoring system The original Diamond League scoring system, used from 2010 to 2015, awarded points to the top three athletes at each meeting (4 points for first place; 2 points for second place; 1 point for third place). Each of the thirty-two disciplines (sixteen each for male and female athletes) was staged a total of seven times during the season; points scored in the final meeting for that discipline (either Zürich or Brussels) were doubled. The athletes who finished the season with the highest number of points in their discipline won the "Diamond Race"; in case of a tie on points, the number of victories was used as the first tie-breaker, followed by the results of the final. Only athletes who competed in their discipline's final meeting were eligible to win the Diamond Race. In 2016 scoring was expanded to the top six (10–6–4–3–2–1); double points (20–12–8–6–4–2) were still awarded in the event finals.
A completely new system was introduced in 2017; the top eight athletes at each meeting are now awarded points (8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1), but these points only determine which athletes qualify for the discipline finals in Zürich and Brussels. The athletes who win at the finals are declared IAAF Diamond League Champions, and the allocation of the overall prize money is likewise determined solely by the results of the final. This system, with the winner of the final automatically winning the overall championship, is similar to the former IAAF Grand Prix circuit with its Grand Prix Final. As part of the scoring changes, the term 'Diamond Race' is no longer used. Instead, athletes compete in 'Diamond Disciplines' to become the Diamond League champion.
After the 2019 season, the final format changed from being held by two separate meets to one meet.Diamond League: IAAF announces changes including reduced events in 2020 . BBC. 2019-03-11. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
Pandemic season
In March 2019 the president of the IAAF, Sebastian Coe, announced changes in the Diamond League's format for the 2020 series. The number of Diamond Disciplines was reduced from 32 to 24 and a second Chinese meet was added to the calendar. The dual final format was replaced by a single final.Zurich to host Diamond League final in 2020 and 2021 as the League undergoes reform to become stronger and more relevant to athletes and fans . IAAF (2019-08-26). Retrieved 2019-10-23.IAAF Diamond League reaches agreement on meetings for 2020 season . IAAF (2019-10-21). Retrieved 2019-10-23. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 7 of the originally planned 15 meets were cancelled, the season was delayed to June 10, only four or the meets had a full competitive program, and the final was cancelled with no champions crowned in 2020.Mulkeen, Jon (2020-10-29). Looking back at the 2020 Wanda Diamond League . World Athletics. Retrieved 2021-03-03. In December 2020, the 2021 Diamond League was announced to return with 32 disciplines and a two-hour broadcast window.Reuters Staff (2020-12-04). Diamond League to have full programme of 32 disciplines in 2021 . Reuters. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
"Final 3" format In the "Final 3" format for horizontal jumping and throwing events, only the top-3 athletes after five rounds get a trial in the last round. Originally, only that final attempt then determined the ranking of the top-3 athletes, regardless of previous marks. The format was first tested at two World Athletics Indoor Tour meetings in 2020 and received ample criticism from athletes prior to its first implementation in the Diamond League at the 2020 Bauhausgalan.
Nonetheless in December 2020, the format was adopted throughout the 2021 Diamond League season, except for the final in Zürich. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe defended the decision as an attempt to make "sure that we haven't got field events that are dying" by raising the stakes of the final round, and made the comparison to track events where results in prior rounds are also not taken into consideration when ranking runners in the final. Coe did however quell earlier concerns that the controversial format could also be adopted at the Olympic Games and World Championships, and confirmed it would be reviewed at the end of the 2021 season.
In December 2021, the revised "Final 3" format was announced: as before only the top-3 athletes after five rounds get a final trial, but all marks determine the ranking of those athletes rather than just their results in the last round. However, the competing order for rounds 4 and 5 and for round 6 is changed by descending marks in the preceding three resp. five rounds (contrary to the usual ascending order). This format continues to be used from the 2022 season onwards.
Both the original and revised formats were the subject of academic studies into their effects on fairness and jumping strategies.
Meetings All meetings since the event's inauguration have been held in the Northern Hemisphere in spring and summer months, in line with the traditional international track and field season.
+Diamond League meetings # Meeting Arena City Country 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 20262027 18AthletissimaStade Olympique de la PontaiseLausanne • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •BauhausgalanStockholm Olympic StadiumStockholm • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Bislett GamesBislett StadiumOslo • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Doha Diamond LeagueQatar Sports ClubDoha • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Golden GalaStadio OlimpicoRome (Florence) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •HerculisStade Louis-IIFontvieille • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Memorial Van DammeKing Baudouin StadiumBrussels • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Weltklasse ZürichLetzigrundZürich • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17London Athletics MeetLondon StadiumLondon (Glasgow / Gateshead / Birmingham) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Meeting de ParisStade Sébastien CharlétyParis • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Prefontaine ClassicHayward FieldEugene (Stanford) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14Diamond League ShanghaiShanghai Stadium / Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre / Shaoxing China Textile City Sports CenterShanghai (Suzhou / Shaoxing) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11British Grand PrixInternational Stadium / Alexander StadiumGateshead / Birmingham• • • • • • • • • • • 10Meeting de RabatPrince Moulay Abdellah StadiumRabat (Marrakesh) • • • • • • • • • • 6Adidas Grand PrixIcahn StadiumNew York City • • • • • • Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Silesia StadiumChorzów (Silesia) • • • • • • 5Xiamen Diamond LeagueXiamen Egret StadiumXiamen • • • • • From 2011 to 2019 the British Grand Prix was held at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham. The 2010 to 2016 Meeting de Paris was held at the Stade de France. In 2016 the Adidas Grand Prix in New York City was removed in favour of the Rabat leg (the first African meet of the series). The 2024 event was moved to Marrakesh Stadium in Marrakesh. The 2019 Prefontaine Classic moved from Eugene to Cobb Track and Angell Field in Stanford due to the reconstruction of Hayward Field. The 2019 Doha Diamond League was held at Khalifa International Stadium. In 2021 and 2023, the Golden Gala moved from Rome to Stadio Luigi Ridolfi in Florence. Meetings may hold non-Diamond League race events, e.g. the 10,000 m in Stockholm on 30 May 2019. Diamond League meetings in Shanghai and Shenzhen were planned for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 but were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 Diamond League Shanghai was moved to Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre in Suzhou. The 2025 Shanghai Diamond League was moved to Shaoxing China Textile City Sports Center in Shaoxing. A meeting in Chorzów was scheduled instead from 2022. A meeting in Xiamen was scheduled instead from 2023.
Diamond League winners
Men's track Year 100 m 200 m 400 m 800 m 1500 m 5000 m 110 m h 400 m h 3000 m st 2010 2011 Dayron Robles 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Men's field Year Long jump Triple jump High jump Pole vault Shot put Discus Javelin 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 (3/3) 2025 2026
Women's track Year 100 m 200 m 400 m 800 m 1500 m 5000 m 100 m h 400 m h 3000 m st 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Women's field Year Long jump Triple jump High jump Pole vault Shot put Discus Javelin 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Notes
Athing Mu won the final as a national wild card so she was ineligible to win the Diamond League title, which went to runner-up Keely Hodgkinson
Statistics Legend Symbol/Column Description Best nation Second best nation Third best nation
Countries by number of event winners