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For the first time in Diamond League history, the finale will take place in one city over a two-day span. The meet is happening on September 8 and 9 and will feature all 2021 Diamond League champions.

Some of the biggest names in athletics will be competing for the Diamond League title. There will be at least 17 Tokyo Olympic gold medallist in Zurich.

Qualifying

Since the season opener in Gateshead, UK in May, athletes have competed for qualification points over the course of 11 series meetings. In each discipline, the athletes with the most points at the end of the season qualify for the final. In the 100m, sprint hurdles, and 800m, it is the top eight who qualify, while in the 200m and one-lap races it is the top seven. Some fields will be more compact than in previous years, with the top six qualifying in the technical disciplines and the top 10 qualifying in the middle and long-distance races. 

The Diamond League Trophy

After a long season (May to September, plus the Olympics), it will be an all-or-nothing final. The winners of each discipline in Zurich will be crowned Wanda Diamond League champions and will be awarded $30,000 USD and will take home the coveted Diamond Trophy.

“A 4.8 kilogram, 35 centimetre high masterpiece designed and produced by Swiss jeweller Beyer, the trophy is one of the most recognisable in world sport. The middle section represents the track, while the cut-glass “diamond” on top stands for the brilliance of the champions,” reads a release by the league.

Innovation

For the first time, according to the league, part of the meet will take place outside of the stadium and on the streets with temporary track laid for racing. The 5000m finals on Wednesday evening will take place on a 560-metre long, temporary track on Sechseläutenplatz, which is the town square.

The Diamond League is a professional series that starts in Gateshead, UK in May and ends in Zurich. Other host cities are Doha, Rome, and Florence, Oslo, Stockholm, Monaco, London/Gateshead, Shanghai, Eugene, Lausanne, Paris, and Brussels.

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