Canadians are in the hunt for Diamond League crowns
If you need a refresher, the Diamond League is track and field's premier pro tour. From April through late summer, athletes accumulate points based on their results in any of the 14 regular-season meets they attend, and the top point-getters in each discipline qualify for the Final. Then, the points go out the window in favour of a winner-take-all showdown to crown the Diamond League champion. Each winner gets a fancy trophy, a big cash prize and a wild-card entry for the world championships.
There are two regular-season stops remaining before this year's Final on Aug. 27 and 28 in Zurich. It will feature the top six in the season-long standings for each field event, the top eight in the track races ranging from 100m to 800m, and the top 10 for the 1,500m and longer, along with one wild card in each event. If there's a tie in points, the spot goes to the athletes with the best performance this season.
A total of $2.24 million US in prize money is up for grabs at the Final. $50,000 will go to the winners of the men's and women's 100m, men's 1,500m, women's 3,000m, women's 100m hurdles, men's 400m hurdles, men's pole vault and women's long jump, while all of the other champions get $30,000 apiece.
At last year's Final in Brussels, Canadian shot putter Sarah Mitton bounced back from her disappointing 12th-place finish at the Paris Olympics, where she was the gold-medal favourite, to win her first Diamond League title. She became the fourth Canadian to hoist a Diamond Trophy, joining 100m hurdler Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (2010), shot putter Dylan Armstrong (2011) and sprinter Andre De Grasse, who won the men's 200m title in 2023.
Two other Canadians made the Final last year. 800m runner Marco Arop and pole vaulter Alysha Newman each finished third after taking silver and bronze, respectively, at the Paris Olympics.
Arop on the bubble
Heading into the final two regular-season meets — happening Wednesday in Lausanne, Switzerland and Friday in Brussels — Mitton is the only Canadian who has clinched a spot in the Final. The defending women's shot put champion ranks third in the standings, behind back-to-back world champion Chase Jackson of the United States and Dutchwoman Jessica Schilder, who took silver behind Mitton at this year's indoor world championships.
Arop, the reigning world champ in the men's 800m, ranks 10th after devoting the early part of his season to the fledgling Grand Slam Track tour, which shut down early and is still struggling to pay its athletes what they're owed. He needs at least three points to climb into the top eight for an automatic berth in the Final. Athletes are awarded 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 point for finishing first to eighth, respectively. So, the Canadian is looking for a strong result when he lines up for the final men's 800m of the regular season on Wednesday in Lausanne.
Jerome Blake on becoming the fastest man in Canada ahead of Tokyo 2025
5 days ago
Arop will be running against his Kenyan rival Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who nipped Arop for the Olympic gold in Paris and is now eyeing his third straight Diamond League title. Wanyonyi has won fourth races in a row, including a pair of victories against Arop last month in London and Monaco.
No other Canadians are slated to compete in Lausanne, but another interesting regular-season finale is on tap there in the men's 100m. Olympic champion Noah Lyles ranks seventh as he prepares to face Diamond League leader Akani Simbine of South Africa, who has already qualified for the Final along with Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson of Jamaica. However, Thompson pulled out of the remainder of the Diamond League season (including the Final) on Monday to rest an ailing shin after defeating Lyles on Saturday in Poland in their first meeting since their photo finish at the Paris Olympics.
You can watch the Lausanne meet live Wednesday from 2-4 p.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. The men's 800m goes at 3:23 p.m. ET and the men's 100 at 3:40 p.m. ET.
Mitton set for final tuneup
Canada's Aaron Brown ranks eighth in the men's 200m standings — just enough to make the Final at the moment. De Grasse (15th in the 200m) and Christopher Morales Williams (15th in the 400m) are outside the cutline. Same on the women's side for Audrey Leduc (20th in the 200m) and Savannah Sutherland, who's 15th in the 400m hurdles after finishing sixth in her Diamond League debut this past weekend in Poland. Newman hasn't competed since May, when she finished eighth and 10th in a pair of Diamond League events.
Reigning Olympic and world hammer throw champions Camryn Rogers and Ethan Katzberg are both having excellent years, with Rogers winning nine of her 10 starts and Katzberg taking six of seven before suffering back-to-back defeats to Olympic silver medallist Bence Halasz last week. However, while some Diamond League meets include the hammer throw, it's not an official tour event, so there are no standings and it won't be part of the Final.
The program for Friday's regular-season finale in Brussels includes the men's 200m and 400m, and the women's 400m hurdles, pole vault and shot put. But Mitton is the only Canadian who chose to enter. She'll face both Jackson and Schilder, which will be a good test ahead of the Final and the world championships.
The Brussels organizers are advertising the women's 100m as their marquee event, with American breakout star Melissa Jefferson-Wooden slated to face reigning world champion Sha'Carri Richardson of the U.S. and former Olympic and world champ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica. 2024 Olympic gold medallist Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia is presumably not competing. She leads the Diamond League standings and has secured a spot in the Final along with Ivory Coast's Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Growing popularity in Canadian women's rugby could culminate in a deep run at World Cup
Social Sharing Canadians are known to be polite and generally kind — but what if I told you a talented team of Canadian women are heading to the United Kingdom to shove, tackle and straight-arm anyone in their path? Yes, folks! Canada's women's senior rugby team is about to embark on a campaign at the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025. On Saturday, at York Community Stadium in the No. 2-ranked Canadians take on Fiji, ranked 14th in the world, for Pool B play. Canada will then play Scotland and Wales respectively. Canada's rugby sevens delighted the world when they clinched the silver medal at the Paris Olympics last year but the team has been steadily growing and fortifying its talent. While rugby is certainly becoming more popular it's not one of the major women's sports in Canada like soccer, basketball or hockey. But the sendoff match at TD Place in Ottawa against the United States drew a record crowd — a first for the rugby team at home. I asked Canadian national team member Olivia Apps about the country's momentum for women's sports right now — and rugby in particular. "It does feel like we're at, like, the middle of something that's about to really explode," she told me after the match. "And I hope this Rugby World Cup does that for women's rugby particularly, but for women's sport generally. But I'm hoping it's [not just] momentary. … We have the LA Olympics, which is basically at home for Canada. It's not too far away. And there's just a lot of excitement within the sport right now in Canada." Like many women athletes, the rugby community advocates for themselves and are a committed group. A fundraising campaign to help curb the cost of their World Cup. Although ranked high globally, rugby is not a professional sport for women in Canada. Women advocate and elevate the sport, helping to encourage participation and pride. One of the biggest global stars of the sport at the moment is Ilona Maher, the most followed rugby player on earth. Maher's popularity skyrocketed after the Olympics, where she won a bronze medal with the United States' rugby sevens, and then went on to place second on Dancing With The Stars. Maher's frank conversation about body positivity and strength as beauty has resonated with so many women and girls. She has amassed millions of fans who see her physical strength as power and her attitude as appropriately unapologetic. The stadium was absolutely roaring with joy as she walked around TD Place following the match and waved to fans and posed for photos. Despite the U.S. being vastly outperformed by the hosts, Maher was aware of what her presence meant. And she leaned into it. I caught up with her and asked her about the rise of rugby as a popular sport. I was also surprised at how brash she was to take (valid) credit for bringing new fans to the sport of rugby. I don't know why I was surprised because she was truthful. Maher's presence has brought new eyes to women's rugby. But we don't have to look far for amazing role models on and off the pitch. WATCH | A shift in Canada's mindset ahead of Women's Rugby World Cup: One month out from Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 29 days ago There's been a shift in mindset in Canadian women's rugby 15s, Tyson Beukeboom explains ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 which begins in just one month in England. Canada's first game is August 23rd vs. let's just say, they are ready! Apps is a recognizable face for women's rugby in Canada. Apps has alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. She is vocal about her condition and although she wore wigs as a child, she has embraced her beautiful baldness. Her role on the team enables her to bring awareness to it. "Even though I was only seven years old, I knew there was something so powerful in just being able to say, 'Hey, this is who I am and I don't actually care what anyone thinks'," she said in an interview. Having that confidence and acceptance is certainly something I want kids around the world to embrace. The growing appeal at home Up north, we aren't at a place where captain Sophie de Goede (just returning from an ACL injury), Pamphinette Buisa (ruled out of the World Cup four days ago due to injury) or Apps are household names — yet. What I can assure you, is that these athletes are some of the most humble, dedicated, passionate and wonderful people I have ever met in my career. They are professionally generous and kind. They remain unafraid to ask for what they need and don't hesitate to work for it. They come back from injury, bring their best selves. Plus, their social media feeds are brilliant. The candor of rugby players is necessary for a sport that is still growing in a country that gets a fraction of the financial backing as the other major teams. In England, the final will be played at Twickenham Stadium, which is already sold out. It is expected to beat a previous record set at Stade de France, where 66,000 spectators watched the rugby sevens opening match at the 2024 Paris Olympics. I appreciate the social media, the storytelling of rugby players from around the world, but the increase in support for Canadians remains vital. The try celebration songs were New Orleans is Sinking and Blow at High Dough by The Tragically Hip. The players on this team would have been quite young when these songs were released but they remain Canadian anthems of culture and intensity. A few days after the match in Ottawa, I was thrilled to find out that The Hip collaborated with the team to help raise funds for the World Cup. I contacted Rugby Canada and it told me the idea came from looking to extend invites to Canadian icons to send videos and wish the team well for the Rugby World Cup (ideally to air in Ottawa). However, it quickly morphed with the band wanting to give back to 'Mission Win Rugby World Cup' with a limited edition shirt. The effort was led by David Fortier, a Rugby Canada board member who is the co-founder and partner at Boat Rocker Studios. "This partnership is about getting all of Canada behind one of the most inspiring untold stories in this country. It's lifting up a team and a nation on the world stage, cheering on our women as they aim to achieve their dreams," the band said in a statement. In an ideal world, neither rock stars nor athletes would have to fundraise in order to help women's sporting dreams be achieved and represent Canada at the highest echelon. But as Canadians fall deeper in love with women's rugby and want to support the team, they have a sure shot to win the World Cup. And do it with grace, too.
National Post
4 hours ago
- National Post
Italian soccer coaches call for Israel to be suspended by UEFA and FIFA over Gaza war
FLORENCE, Italy — The Italian Soccer Coaches' Association is pushing for Israel to be suspended from international competition over the war in Gaza. Article content Ahead of Italy's crucial World Cup qualifiers against Israel in the next two months, the AIAC says 'Israel must stop. Soccer must also take action.' Article content Article content The AIAC has written a formal letter to the Italian soccer federation, to be forwarded to European and world soccer's governing bodies, calling for Israel to be suspended. Article content Article content 'The AIAC Board of Directors unanimously believes that, given the daily massacres, which have also resulted in hundreds of deaths among managers, coaches, and athletes … it is legitimate, necessary, indeed a duty, to place at the center of federation talks the request, to be submitted to UEFA and FIFA, for the temporary exclusion of Israel from sporting competitions,' the letter concludes. Article content Article content 'Because the pain of the past cannot cloud anyone's conscience and humanity.' Article content Italy is set to play Israel on neutral turf in Debrecen, Hungary on Sept. 8, before hosting the return match in Udine on Oct. 14. Article content 'We could just focus on playing, looking the other way. But we believe that is not right,' AIAC vice president Giancarlo Camolese said.
CTV News
17 hours ago
- CTV News
Edmonton hosts 2025 national lawn bowling championships this week
Lawn bowlers from across Canada play in the 2025 Canadian championships at Edmonton's Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club on Aug. 19, 2025. The lawn and winding road to the national bowls championship peaks this week on the green of a city club. Edmonton's Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club is hosting this year's Canadian Lawn Bowling Championships, which started Tuesday and are slated to run through Saturday. Male and female athletes representing eight provinces, including a combined Alberta/Quebec team on top of an all-Alberta squad, are competing in four disciplines — singles, pairs, triples and fours — for national gold. The host committee for the 2025 championships includes representatives from all four local clubs: the aforementioned Commonwealth, the Royal Lawn Bowling Club, the Highlands Lawn Bowling Club and the wintertime Edmonton Indoor Lawn Bowling Club. Modern lawn bowling, also known as bowls, dates back to 13th century England and is played on a smooth grass surface called a green using hard resin balls. The object of the game is for one side to roll the balls (a.k.a. bowls) closer to the target — a small white ball called a jack — than their opponents. Players from each team take turns rolling their bowls down the green toward the jack until all the bowls have been played. Lawn bowling Lawn bowlers from across Canada play in the 2025 Canadian championships at Edmonton's Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club on Aug. 19, 2025. John Pater, co-chair of the 2025 championships host committee and vice-president of the Commonwealth club, calls lawn bowling 'curling on grass' with a lot of the same rules as curling." 'You've got players that are lead, second, third, skip,' he told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday. 'You've got a bowl that actually curls, just like a curling rock does.' Pater said Alberta has some of the best lawn bowlers in Canada and is 'quite competitive' at nationals. Lawn bowling Lawn bowlers from across Canada play in the 2025 Canadian championships at Edmonton's Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club on Aug. 19, 2025. (Cameron Wiebe/CTV News Edmonton) 'We have players who kind of routinely make it to the national championships and often finish in the medals, in the gold, silver or bronze,' he said. At last year's championships in Milton, Ont., Alberta sides took gold in women's pairs and triples and in men's fours and triples. The local outdoor lawn bowling season runs from Victoria Day to mid-September. Lawn bowling Lawn bowlers from across Canada play in the 2025 Canadian championships at Edmonton's Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club on Aug. 19, 2025. (Cameron Wiebe/CTV News Edmonton) The Royal and Highlands clubs have a long history in the city, with each dating back more than a century. Defunct historic city clubs include the Alberta Avenue, Canadian Legion, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Eastwood, Edmonton, Garneau, Patricia, Strathcona, University and Westlawn. The Commonwealth club, which last week also hosted the national youth and junior championships, was established in 1978. Its four-green venue, located at Coronation Park just east of 142 Street near the Telus World of Science, was built for that year's Commonwealth Games held in the city. Ottawa hosted the para lawn bowling championships early this month. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Cameron Wiebe
