Athletics Africa Magazine

Six global champions were in City Center Doha this evening for the opening ceremony of the IAAF Heritage World Athletics Championships Exhibition. The exhibition, the largest ever of its kind, celebrates the history of the IAAF World Athletics Championships whose first edition took place in Helsinki, Finland, 36 years ago, and which remain today the third most important sporting event on the planet. The evening was hosted by IAAF President Sebastian Coe and Dahlan Al Hamad , IAAF Vice President and Director General of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 Local Organising Committee. The exhibition, which occupies 400m2 of space in the largest shopping mall in Qatar will be open daily to the public for six months, closing on Monday 7 October. During this time the Asian Athletics Championships, Doha Diamond League and IAAF World Athletics Championships will be hosted by Doha, drawing thousands of athletes, official, media and fans to Qatar. Stand back in awe...

Khalifa International Stadium in Doha / Photo credit: Doha DL The men’s shot put was one of the highest quality events across the athletics programme last season and six of the seven throwers who surpassed the 22-metre line will be competing in the Doha Diamond League - the first stage of the IAAF Diamond League 2019 - on 3 May. The event came to a climax in the Zurich Diamond League where reigning world indoor and outdoor champion Tom Walsh from New Zealand reached out to a second-round effort of 22.60m to eclipse the Diamond League record by four centimetres. “Breaking the Diamond League record in Zurich to win the Diamond League title was one of the highlights of my season. Of course, I have very high expectations this year as well and I have been pleased with my performances so far in 2019,” said Walsh. Walsh holds the world outdoor lead with 21.91m from the Australian Championships where he participated as a guest but the calibre of the field is such that a throw in e...

The Road To The Final reached its decisive phase in many disciplines this Friday July 21, as the IAAF Diamond League completed its 11th stage of the season at the Herculis Meeting in Monaco. Here's a summary of the top headlines. Manangoi wins, Kiprop misses out on Final Elijah Motonei Manangoi won a thrilling 1500m in Monaco, overtaking Timothy Cheruiyot on the home straight to come in at 3:28.80. Victory saw Manangoi finish top of the qualification standings. Three time Diamond Trophy winner and current holder Asbel Kiprop , meanwhile, finished only 11th, meaning he did not secure a place in the top 12 of the qualification standings, and will not be able to defend his title at the Final. Ibargüen rallies, takes revenge on Rojas For much of the women's triple jump, it looked like Venezuelan pretender Yulimar Rojas was going to inflict a second defeat this season on Colombian legend Caterine Ibargüen. The Diamond Trophy holder and Olympic champion rallied in ...

Catch up on what Kendra Harrison , Wayde Van Niekerk , Maria Lasitskene, Thomas Röhler and Renaud Lavillenie had to say at Thursday's press conference ahead of the 11th IAAF Diamond League meeting of the summer in Monaco. *NOTE: Forward Video to 27 minutes to start watching Copyright © 2011-2017 | AthleticsAfrica.Com

The Road To The Final reached Africa this weekend as the world's top athletes descended on Rabat for the Meeting International Mohammed VI. The action saw many stars book their place in the Final, while others picked up enough points to raise their hopes of securing a qualifying place. Here's a summary of the top headlines: Blessing Okagbare (Nigeria) and Elaine Thompson (Jamaica) at the Rabat Diamond League / Photo credit: Kirby Lee / IAAF Protsenko qualifies, Tamberi fights back Andriy Protsenko put in a consummate display of jumping to secure victory in Rabat, but the night belonged to Gianmarco Tamberi. After returning from injury just weeks ago, Tamberi's second Diamond League appearance of the season marked a brilliant return to form in which he finished joint second, picking up seven points, and moving him closer to a qualifying position. "I needed these points, I need to reach the Final", he said. Ibargüen returns to top of the stan...

Hellen Obiri from Kenya won the Women's Mile at the 2017 Müller Anniversary Games in London on Sunday, setting a meeting record of 4:16.56, and breaking her national record. Hellen Obiri at the London Diamond League / Photo IDL/Kirby Lee Kenya's Winny Chebet was third while there was a Polish record of 4:19.55 for Angelika Cichoka in fourth. In the men’s 800m, Botswana's Nijel Amos leapt to the top of the world leaderboard as he brought back memories of the 2012 Olympic final where he chased world record-setting David Rudisha to the line for a world U20 record of 1:41.73. He wasn’t quite that quick this afternoon, but Amos adopted Rudisha-like tactics as he followed pacemaker Bram Som through half way in 49.58 and held off the field into the home straight to win in 1:43.18, his quickest time since 2015. Many of the world's top athletes secured their place in the IAAF Diamond League Final at the end of the season by picking up crucial points a...

It was a thrilling night of IAAF Diamond League action at Athletissima in Lausanne on Thursday evening. A number of athletes secured qualification for the Final, and records were tumbling left, right and centre. Here's a summary of the top headlines. Wayde van Niekerk eases to record South African Wayde van Niekerk made his first Diamond League appearance of the season in Lausanne, and he made quite a splash, easing over the line in 43.62 and smashing the 400m Diamond League record. The win gives him eight points and brings him to 9th place in the rankings, meaning a spot in the top eight and a place in the Final is within touching distance. Kendricks and Wojciechowski deliver thrilling finale The men's pole vault was the last event to finish in Lausanne, as Sam Kendricks, Pawel Wojciechowski and Renaud Lavillenie went the full distance in a brilliant battle. After Lavillenie had bowed out at 5.87m, Kendricks and Wojciechowski both cleared 5.93m. ...

The 2017 IAAF Diamond League season reached Paris on Saturday, as the world's top athletes had another chance to pick up valuable points on the Road To The Final. It proved to be a night of upsets and decisive moments at the Stade Charlety. Here's a summary of the top headlines. Thompson back in the running Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson had drifted down the qualification standings in the women's 100m over the last few weeks. She eased to victory in 10.91 in Paris to take her tally to 16 points. Though she is now second, and still yet to officially qualify, Thompson's passage to the Final now looks a lot smoother than it did before tonight. Kendricks beats Lavillenie again Sam Kendricks had twice beaten Renaud Lavillenie in this season's Diamond League before this evening, and he extended his streak, winning again after he cleared 5.82m. Seven time Diamond Trophy winner Lavillenie couldn't use his home advantage, and is still without a win...

Qatar’s Olympians and rising stars are set to compete amongst some of the best athletes in the world in the first meeting of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League season in Doha. Qatar’s athletics team will join an already outstanding list of athletics superstars who will compete on 5th May at Qatar Sports Club. Lead by Olympic silver medallist, Mutaz Barshim , 13 Qatari athletes will compete, including fellow Olympians Ahmed Bedeer competing in the javelin and the fastest man in Asia, Femi Ogunode in the 100m. The javelin competition is set to be a thriller, with Qatar’s young Olympian and Aspire Academy graduate, 21-year-old Ahmed Bedeer looking to continue his solid progress in the sport in a competition that features the Rio 2016 Olympic gold and silver medallists, Thomas Röhler and current World Champion Julius Yego . Bedeer set a personal best of 84.74 to qualify for Rio 2016 and will be aiming to use the Doha Diamond League to gain further experience on his road to the Lo...

Another wave of Olympic medallists and World Champions have announced their participation in the first meet of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League season in Doha, adding to an already incredible list of athletics superstars who will compete on 5th May at Qatar Sports Club. Kenya’s middle-distance legend Asbel Kiprop will lead the men’s 1500m field as Rio 2016 gold medallist Conseslus Kipruto stars in the men’s 3000m, and the women’s 100m hurdles features a hugely talented line-up. Tickets are on sale now at www.q-tickets.com to be part of the action-packed evening of world-class athletics. Three-time World Champion and Beijing 2008 Olympic Champion, Asbel Kiprop of Kenya will be going for an impressive 24th Diamond League meeting victory in the men’s 1500m, which would also be his third consecutive win in Doha. The 2016 Diamond Race winner will face stiff competition from fellow countrymen Silas Kiplagat, the 2011 world silver medallist and two-time Diamond Race winner, and ...