This year’s track and field scene has been a total rollercoaster, full of jaw-dropping moments and epic performances. Now, with the season winding down, all eyes are on the Zurich Diamond League 2024, where we’re about to see some serious action. Get ready for a thrilling showdown as Julien Alfred and Sha’Carri Richardson face off in the women’s 100m, promising a lightning-fast race. And on the men’s side, Letsile Tebogo is ready to go up against three top American sprinters in the 200m, setting up an electrifying clash.

The Wanda Diamond League is the big league of one-day athletic events. It features 15 top-notch meets where men and women go head-to-head in 16 key disciplines. From April to September, athletes gather points at 14 different events. The top contenders in each discipline then make it to the grand finale in Brussels, happening on September 13th-14th. It’s the season’s biggest showdown, where the best of the best come together to compete for the ultimate win.

With so many amazing athletes in the mix, the Zurich Diamond League 2024 is shaping up to be a must-watch event. Buckle up and get ready for another round of unforgettable performances and excitement that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat! Curious about how the point system and prize money work in the Zurich Diamond League? Let’s dive in and uncover the details!

Zurich Diamond League 2024 prize money and distribution

At the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, the Diamond League crowns its champions over two action-packed days. There’s one top man and one top woman in each of the 16 events. Winners snag a cool “Diamond Trophy,” a $30,000 prize, and a wild card for the World Athletics Championships (with some conditions). It’s a big celebration of the best in athletics!

At the Zurich Diamond League, the stakes are high, with a generous prize pool for every discipline. The top spot is all set to earn a hefty $10,000, while the runner-up is assigned to take home $6,000. For the rest of the contenders, the one who secures the third place gets $3,500, and the one taking the fourth place gets $2,000. The fifth spot brings in $1,250, followed by the sixth-place winner taking $1,000. Rounding out the top eight, seventh place pockets $750, and eighth place receives $500. But that’s not the end of the story!

Because the distance race finishers from ninth to twelfth and ninth-lane sprinters also get a slice of the prize pie. Yes, each of the 32 disciplines boasts a prize pool, with each event offering a substantial $30,000. Now, with about 15 meetings occurring throughout the season, that adds up to a dazzling total of $450,000 per event.

No doubt that with prizes this big, every athlete has been gearing up to bring their best game and grab that trophy at the Zurich Diamond League Finale. Are you wondering how they figure out the standings and how the points system works throughout the Diamond League? Here’s a little breakdown for you to see how it all comes together!

Know the Point System ahead of the final event

Throughout the Diamond League, athletes are designed to rack up points at each of the 14 series meets, with 8 points set aside for the first place, 7 points allotted for the second, and so on down to the last 1 point for the eighth place holder. To make it to the final, the top six in field events, the top eight in the 100m to 800m sprints, and the top ten in the 1500m and long-distance races have to qualify. Now, in case there’s a tie, the athlete with the best legal performance of the season automatically clinches the higher spot—it’s all about stacking up those points to secure a place in the grand finale!

These points build up over the season, with the top athletes from each category in each event getting a ticket to the annual Diamond League Final. From thereon, it’s a winner-take-all match to snag the title of the ultimate Wanda Diamond League Champion. However, each event is also allowed to include one wildcard entry, either national or global, adding to that extra zing of excitement. After all, this is the place where all the hard work throughout the season culminates in one epic showdown!

Once the final wraps up, the spotlight shines on the Diamond League champion in each discipline. It’s the moment when the season’s most outstanding athlete is crowned the victor, celebrating their journey and triumph with one of the ultimate recognitions in their field. Not only does each champ get the shiny Diamond Trophy, they also walk away with $30,000 and a wild card for the World Athletics Championships. As you can imagine, it is indeed the ultimate prize pack that both celebrates their amazing season and gives them a shot at even bigger stages.

It doesn’t need to be reiterated that with stakes this high, both the athletes and their fans are on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting to see who will ultimately claim the highly-coveted $10,000 prize at the Zurich Diamond League! Go on, drop your thoughts below on your choice of athletes—the ones you think will snag the top spot and who else might just make it to the podium at this thrilling event.