FILE PHOTO: Athletics – Diamond League – Zurich – Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland – September 9, 2021 Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi in action during the women’s pole vault REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
December 15, 2021
(Reuters) – The Diamond League has approved a new ‘Final 3’ format that will take into account any throw or jump when deciding the event winners instead of only the final attempt by the three leading athletes, it said on Wednesday.
The old format did not take into account marks achieved in the previous five attempts even if they would have been enough to win the competition, with the leading three athletes earning a sixth and final attempt to decide the winner.
The change for horizontal jumps and throwing events was approved by the Diamond League General Assembly in Rome after consultation with athletes, coaches, broadcasters and meeting organisers.
“When we discussed and agreed to trial the Final 3 format this season we were apprehensive but understood why this concept was being considered,” Athletes’ Commission vice chairman Valerie Adams said.
“The Wanda Diamond League Board promised to consult with athletes and others at the end of the season, which they did and we have agreed on a revised format which we think will work better for athletes and fans.”
The Diamond League said any other live track and field events would be stopped for the duration of the Final 3 to allow broadcasters to focus on the main event and “build drama”.
The 2022 provisional calendar was announced last month with the season starting in May in Doha and ending in Zurich in September, with athletes also set to compete in China for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
