Diamond League Finals 2024: Which athletes have received wildcard entries?

Published at :September 13, 2024 at 3:13 PM

Modified at :September 14, 2024 at 11:12 PM

(Courtesy : @Diamond_League/Twitter)

The Diamond League Finals 2024 will feature 14 track and field events.

The Diamond League Finals 2024 meet is set to take place in Brussels on 13th and 14th September. It will serve as the season’s finale for the premier track and field one-day series. While most competitors earn their spot in the finale by accumulating points over the season which involves a rigorous journey of competing in 14 cities across four continents, a select few also qualify through the global and national wildcard system.

National wildcards allow the host meeting to invite one athlete from the host country provided they meet the required standard. For instance, a Belgian athlete who hasn’t accumulated enough points might still be selected by the Memorial Van Damme – Brussels Diamond League meeting organizers.

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While national wildcards can compete for the full prize money, they are not eligible to win the Diamond Trophy or be named Diamond League champion.

Global wildcards offer a broader opportunity with organizers able to invite up to four athletes – two men and two women who have met specific criteria such as being a world record-holder or a top-ranked competitor including reigning world, Olympic or Diamond League champion, top five in the World Athletics rankings of their event or top 20 in the overall World Athletics rankings. Global wildcard athletes must have competed in at least one Diamond League event during the season.

Also Read: Diamond League Finals 2024: Full schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details

Unlike national wildcards, global wildcards can win the Diamond Trophy and be crowned champion though they won’t receive full prize money. Another important rule to note is that no event can have both a national and a global wildcard athlete.

Series CEO Petr Stastny emphasized that the rules are uniformly applied to all athletes with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s current situation serving as a prime example. Sydney won’t race in the 200m-400m double at the Diamond League Finals 2024 on September 13-14, despite a wildcard invite, as she failed to meet the Diamond League’s eligibility requirements for a “Global Wild Card” as she didn’t accumulate enough points or compete in the required number of meets this season.

Whereas, Faith Kipyegon, three-time Olympic gold medalist has received a wildcard for the Diamond League Finals 2024 in Brussels. Her appearance at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme on September 13-14 at the King Baudouin Stadium is eagerly awaited and the event organizers have expressed their excitement to feature the five-time Diamond League champion in the grand conclusion to the season.

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