Kip Keino Classic to wait longer for Diamond League status
Ferdinand Omanyala (centre) of Kenya beats USA's Kenneth Bednarek (right) and Marvin Bracy-Williams to the finish line to win men's 100 metres race during the fourth edition of Absa Kip Keino Classic at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on May 13, 2023.
What you need to know:
- When World Athletics President Sebastian Coe visited Kenya in January on a private tour, he expressed the importance of having another Diamond League leg in Africa besides Rabat Diamond League in Morocco
- The World Athletics Continental Tour forms the second tier of international one-day meetings after the Diamond League
- After a historic season came to a dramatic climax in Eugene earlier this month, athletes and fans can now set their sights on the 2024 Wanda Diamond League season
Kenyan leg of the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour, the Kip Keino Classic, will have to wait a little longer before being upgraded to the Diamond League status.
There were hopes that the event that has been on the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour calendar for the last four years could finally be upgraded to a Diamond League event, but it was missing in the 2024 Wanda Diamond League schedule released by World Athletics on Monday evening.
When World Athletics President Sebastian Coe visited Kenya in January on a private tour, he expressed the importance of having another Diamond League leg in Africa besides Rabat Diamond League in Morocco.
On Tuesday, Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei, who is also the World Athletics Deputy President, remained optimistic that the Kip Keino Classic will finally get the Diamond League status.
“I guess the organisers are yet to find a place for our event. We shall wait a little longer but I am confident that moment will come,” said Tuwei. “We shall focus on improving on the Kip Keino Classic.”
The World Athletics Continental Tour forms the second tier of international one-day meetings after the Diamond League.
The Continental Tour is divided into four levels - Gold, Silver, Bronze and Challenger, each with different levels of competition and different prize offerings.
The World Athletics is yet to release the calendar for the 2024 World Athletics Continental Gold Tour.
The 2024 Wanda Diamond League will feature 15 of the most prestigious meetings in global track and field that will include the two-day grand finale at the Memorial Van Damme on September 13 to 14 in Brussels, Belgium. Athletes will compete for points at 14 series with the most successful qualifying for the Memorial Van Damme.
After a historic season came to a dramatic climax in Eugene earlier this month, athletes and fans can now set their sights on the 2024 Wanda Diamond League season.
The season will begin with a Chinese double bill, with meetings in Xiamen on April 20 and Shanghai on April 27.
The series will then move to Doha on May 10, Rabat May 19 and Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, United State of America on May 25 before Oslo and Stockholm for the first European meetings on May 30 and June 2 respectively.
In July, meetings in Paris, Monaco and London will give athletes the chance to prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. After the Olympics, there will be four more chances to earn points in Lausanne, Silesia, Rome and Zurich before the season finale on September 13-14.
The 2024 season will see the Wanda Diamond League Final return to Brussels for the first time since 2019, with all 32 Diamond League champions set to be crowned over one weekend at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme.
Diamond League calendar: 2024 season
April 20- Xiamen, China
April 27- Shanghai, China
May 10- Doha, Qatar
May 19-Rabat, Morocco
May 25- Eugene, USA
May 30-Oslo, Norway
June 2- Stockholm, Sweden
July 7-Paris, France
July 12- Monte Carlo, Monaco
July 20- London, Great Britain
August 22- Lausanne, Switzerland
August 25-Silesia, Poland
August 29-Rome, Italy
September 5- Zurich, Switzerland
September 13-14- Brussels, Belgium (Diamond League Final)
