The Diamond League season wrapped up last week with some thrilling performances from the track and field athletes. The roaring fans witnessed history in the making in the prestigious Hayward Field as a multitude of athletes gave their career-best performances. The Diamond League finale, which also brought the Prefontaine Classic to a close, saw an unprecedented number of record-setting performances.

As the track and field legends competed for the last time this season, they were up with a fierce determination to leave their mark on the sport. Every event was filled with intense competition, and the energy from the track permeated the air. What fueled this determination among the sporting icons in the 2023 Prefontaine Classic?

Unveiling the motivation at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic

The 2023 Prefontaine Classic will go down in history as the most memorable meet in the track and field world. In the past, the Pre-Classics has always lived up to its name and brought forth some of the best performances from athletes around the globe. But the 2023 edition of the meet brought out an extra spark of motivation in the athletes, who added to the pomp of the show with their impressive feats. The Prefontaine Classic celebrated their success with a commemorative X post that read, “The Pre Classic is now the No. 1 track & field meet in the history of competition performance rankings, as scored by @WorldAthletics”. As per the numbers, it has been by far the most outstanding year for the Pre Classics.

Two world records, twelve national records, seven Prefontaine Classics records, and a Diamond League record all came on the final day of the meet. That brought the total record count for the event to an astonishing 51. Out of these 51 records, the Prefontaine Classics counted 14 meet records. The athletes pushed their limits to showcase their talents in the year preceding the Olympics. Ethiopian track and field legend Gudaf Tsegay, who created the 5,000-meter world record, summed it best, saying, “I’m very hungry in my mind”. Even the shot put ace, Ryan Crouser, could not put his finger on what exactly led to so many record-breaking performances.

Track and field stars in awe of record-breaking numbers

Crouser watched the other events after earning the silver medal in his shot put event. He was amazed at the stellar performances of the other athletes. He said, “I saw a lot of events doing surprisingly well, …Across the board, outstanding performances here, and so I was surprised”. The new American 800-meter record holder, Athing Mu, explained, “I feel like everyone just kind of wants to leave it out on the track… Especially when it’s your last week of the season”. Her reasoning has satiated the curiosity of many who wanted to know why the athletes performed the way they did.

Read More: Here’s Where, When, and How to Watch the Eugene Diamond League Final: Prefontaine Classic 2023

While most athletes did it for fame, Swedish pole vaulting star Mondo Duplantis played for the love of the sport. He said, “I love pole vaulting so much, and I’ve loved it ever since I was just a little kid”. He reset the world record for the seventh time and was happy with bringing new viewers to the sport. The 12,355 fans gathered at the Hayward Field are a testament to the prestige of the Prefontaine Classics and its level of success.

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