All You Need to Know About the 2023 Zurich Diamond League

This year has been an eventful one so far for the track and field world. The world has witnessed some of the greatest performances in the past few months. Athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson made headlines at the USATF as she became the world’s fastest woman in the 100 meters after her title win at the World Athletics Championships. Noah Lyles etched his name in track and field history by becoming only the seventh man to achieve a double victory at the world championships. Shericka Jackson also became the fastest woman alive in the 200-meter heat after her record-breaking win against Richardson and Gabrielle Thomas in the Budapest World event. The World Athletics Championships in Budapest proved to be a captivating event, showcasing the finest athletes excelling at the pinnacle of their performances.

Now the spotlight shifts to the Diamond League, which is going to be held in the largest city of Switzerland, Zurich. This is going to be the final leg of the Diamond League, as it is coming back after a one-month hiatus prior to the World Athletics Championships. This league will take place at Letzigrund Stadium on August 31. A number of world-class athletes are set to lock horns in the forthcoming league. Fans must be wondering about information like how to watch, the athletes to watch out for, and the schedule of this Weltklasse Diamond League. Here are all the details everyone needs to know about the 2023 Diamond League.

Athletes to resume fight for the Diamond Trophy after World Championships

The Diamond League is an annual sequence of top-tier track and field events. It was started in 2010 and was originally intended to replace the IAAF Golden League. This league aims to promote the sport of athletics beyond the boundaries of Europe, and they have been successful in doing so. On Thursday, athletes will be participating in nine track and field events. The 14th edition of this league started on May 5 in Doha, Qatar, returned to London in July at the Olympic Stadium, and stopped during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Now it is just about to resume in Zurich and is building all the hype in the world due to the way athletes performed in Budapest.

After the event is concluded in Zurich, the Wanda Diamond League in Xiamen will kick off on September 2 in the Egret Stadium. Then it will shift to Memorial Van Damme Brussels on September 8 in the King Baudouin Stadium. Then finally, the conclusive event, the Prefontaine Classic, will be held from September 16–17 in the Hayward Field track and field stadium. This will also mark the first time the finals of a Diamond League will take place in the United States, as they have never gone out of Europe before.

Dates and Venue for the Zurich Diamond League 2023

The upcoming league will commence on August 30, and there will be a women’s pole vault event held on the first day. On the second day, i.e., August 31, the league will have all the remaining events like 100-meter and 200-meter heats, triple jump, hurdle races, steeplechase, etc. The league will take place at the historic Stadion Letzigrund, aka Letzigrund Stadium. This stadium has a capacity of 25,00 spectators and is one of the oldest stadiums in Switzerland, having been constructed in 1925.

Schedule for the Weltklasse Diamond League

On Wednesday, there will be a pole vault competition at the main train station which will commence at 17:30. On Thursday, the events will kick off at 17:53, and the first event will be Relay School Girls and Boys LC Zürich Mixed Heat A. Triple jump women will start at 18:22, while high jump men will start at 18:48. On 19:18, there will be a men’s pole vault event, while the 400 meter hurdles men will start at 20:04.

The women’s 100-meter event will take place at 20:15. Here are some other notable events that will be held on Thursday: Long Jump Men at 20:24, 1500 meter Men at 20:41, Men’s Javelin Throw at 20:42, 800 meter Women at 20:53, 200 meters; women at 21:04, 5000 meters Men at 21:10, 100 meter Hurdles women at 21:33, 200 meter Men at 21:41, 4×400 women at 21:51, and finally the closing ceremony, which will start from 22:00 onwards.

Athletes participating in Weltklasse, Zurich

Athletes like Noah Lyles, who currently holds the titles of both 100-meter and 200-meter world champions, will be there representing America. Women’s 100-meter world champion Sha’Carri Richardson will also be participating in the league. Shericka Jackson, who bettered her record as the world’s fastest woman in the 200 meter at the world championships, will also step on the track as the 200 meter world champion. The world’s fastest woman alive in 100 meters, Elaine Thompson-Herah, will also grace the field.

Another legend from Jamaica, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, widely regarded as the greatest of all time, will also participate in the league. Beloved Canadian, Andre De Grasse, will also be shouldering the country’s hopes in the league. Another rising star from America, Erriyon Knighton, will also participate, along with Zharnel Hughes from Great Britain. American runner Yared Nuguse, Josh Kerr from Scotland, and Mohamed Katir from Spain will be representing their nations in middle-distance heats. Rai Benjamin will be representing the US in the 400-meter hurdles and 400-meter events.

Here’s how to watch the 2023 Zurich Diamond League in the USA

The live broadcast of the league will start on Thursday through multiple means worldwide. In the United States, viewers can catch the live broadcast of the league on both TV and online platforms. People can watch through Peacock Premium online, and CNBC will broadcast the broadcast for cable and satellite subscribers. The telecast will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time and will be re-telecasted on September 2 at noon on CNBC.

Some notable performances in the 2023 Diamond Leagues so far

In round 1 of the league, Katie Moon won the women’s pole vault with a 4.81-meter finish. In the same event, Sha’Carri Richardson made history when she won the 100-meter heat in 10.76 seconds, leaving behind her Jamaican rival Shericka Jackson, who placed second with a 10.85-second finish, and Dina Asher Smith of Great Britain, who finished third with a time of 10.98 seconds.

Rai Benjamin from the US won the 400-meter hurdles for men with a time of 47.78 seconds. In the 200-meter men’s race, Fred Kerley became the champion when he clocked an incredible time of 19.92 seconds, while his fellow American sprinter Kenny Bednarek was placed second with a time of 20.11 seconds. Aaron Brown of Canada finished third with a time of 20.20 seconds. Another track and field legend, Faith Kipyegon from Kenya, won the women’s 1500-meter title with a time of 3:58.57.

In Round 10 of the league in London, Yared Naguse of America won the title of 1500-meter men with an impressive time of 3:30.44. JuVaughn Harrison of the US won the men’s high jump with a finish of 2.35m. In 110-meter hurdles, Grant Holloway of the US won the title in 13.01 seconds, while Izumiya Shunsuke of Japan finished second with 13.06 seconds, and Jamal Britt of the US was placed third with a finish of 13.25 seconds.

In the men’s 200 meter race, Noah Lyles won the race in 19.47 seconds; Letsile Tebogo of Botswana finished second with a time of 19.50 seconds; and Zharnel Hughes was placed third with a time of 19.73 seconds. In the 100-meter women’s Ivorian heat, Marie-Josée Ta Lou finished first with a time of 10.75 seconds, while Dina Asher-Smith finished second with 10.85 seconds, and Sha’Carri Richardson finished third with 10.94 seconds.

READ MORE: Hours After Almost Losing Eyesight, Noah Lyles Hits the Perfect Bullseye in 200M Final at World Athletics Championship

As the 2023 Diamond League enters its final stages, the world of track and field has been treated to an exhilarating year of exceptional performances. From record-breaking sprints to awe-inspiring jumps, athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles, and Shericka Jackson have left their mark. The Zurich Diamond League promises another showcase of unparalleled athleticism, setting the stage for an epic conclusion to this year’s league.

Watch this story: Witness the Genesis of the Legend of Noah Lyles: The Finish You Know, the Start You Don’t