Four defending champions and a mix of old and new names secured maximum points in the Diamond Race at the first time of asking in Doha.
While it might easily have been predicted that reigning champions Tianna Bartoletta (long jump), Sandra Perkovic (discus), Allyson Felix (200m) and Justin Gatlin (100m) would leave Qatar satisfied, not even Virginia Nyambura herself could realistically have expected the Kenyan to be heading the 3000m Steeplechase standings, yet top of the pile is precisely where the designated pacemaker for the race sits. She left last year’s Diamond Race winner Hiwot Ayalew to pick up just two points on the night.
Ayalew wasn’t the only defending champion to fail to pick up four points. Pedro Pablo Pichardo (triple jump) might have been the world leader following a big jump in Cuba recently, but he, along with Dawit Seyaum (1500m), Airine Palsyte (high jump) and Jasmin Stowers (100m hurdles), hasn’t topped the Diamond Race standings before, so embarks on a new journey following his victory.
Elsewhere, established performers took their early season opportunities to throw down markers for the year ahead and David Storl (shot put), Francena McCorory (400m), Bershawn Jackson (400m hurdles), Hagos Gebrhiwet (3000m), Tero Pitkamaki (javelin), Konstantinos Filippidis (pole vault) and Ayanleh Souleiman (800m) all picked up four points, meaning they have an advantage over the rest as the Diamond Race gathers pace in the coming weeks.
Four Diamond Race points are awarded to event winners, two for runners up and one for third place finishers, with the top eight athletes securing places in the season ending finales in Zurich and Brussels, where points are doubled. The athletes in each discipline with the most points after all seven meetings are crowned the Diamond Race Champions and each secure a Diamond Trophy.
