season: How to watch and top things to know Doha: Diamond League

By May Zhao

Reigning Olympic and world champions will feature in many of the events during the top tier World Athletics competitions in 2022, which get underway with the Diamond League meet in Doha on May 13.

The first of 13 Diamond League meetings for 2022 takes place in Doha on Friday (13 May), just over 70 days before the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

The premier series will play host to several thrilling rematches from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021, with the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, on 28 May expected to provide some of the key highlights before the worlds.

It’s not only bragging rights at stake. The 2022 Wanda Diamond League season will continue being a platform for some phenomenal performances including a multitude of world record attempts.

Here are the top things you need to know about the stars to watch out for, what to expect from this season’s events, how to follow the action, the schedule, and more.

The Olympic rematches in Diamond League 2022 begin in Doha

The first stop of the series, Diamond League Doha on May 13, will see a huge men's 200m, as reigning Olympic gold medallist Andre De Grasse lines up against reigning world champion Noah Lyles, who had to settled for bronze at the last Games, and versatile runner Fred Kerley, the 100m silver medallist from Tokyo.

“To win my first Olympic gold medal last year was really special,” said the 27-year-old Canadian, a six-time Olympic sprint medallist who is looking to peak at July’s world championships.

“In Rio 2016 and the Worlds in 2019, I felt I’d come up short, in spite of consistent podium performances. I work hard and I want to be the best. Winning gold in Tokyo has given me confidence that I can deliver another championship-winning performance this summer, and I’m looking forward to kicking off my season in Doha as I build towards that goal in Eugene.”

His teammate Aaron Brown, sixth in the 200m in Tokyo, and Filippo Tortu, who took 4x100m relay gold with Italy, are also part of a star-studded list for the race in the Qatari capital.

Two podium finishers from the record-breaking men's 400m hurdles race in Tokyo will also be on parade at the Qatar Sports Club in Doha.

Rai Benjamin, second behind Karsten Warholm who broke the world record when he took gold in 45.94 seconds, and Olympic bronze medallist Alison Dos Santos will be joined by Qatari star Abderrahaman Samba, fifth in the Olympic final.

Local fans will have a lot more to cheer about as their most medalled track and field star Mutaz Barshim reunites with Gianmarco Tamberi for the first time in competition since sharing the high jump Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020 in 2021.

“We made history with our Olympic gold, but my focus is now entirely on defending my world title in Eugene later this summer,” the 30-year-old Qatari told the organisers.

“I celebrated the best moment of my life so far with Mutaz in Tokyo,” added the Italian champion.

“But it’s important to move on from that and focus on the new goals I’ve set myself for the World and European Championships this summer.”

The two will also be among the headline matchups at the Golden Gala in Rome on June 9.

Sprint queen Elaine Thompson-Herah in Birmingham

The next stop of the Diamond League series in Birmingham, England, on 21st May, will be all about five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah in the women’s 100m. The first woman to defend the 100m and 200m Olympic titles has her focus on the worlds and bettering her personal best of 10.54.

"I’m obviously very proud of what I’ve achieved in my career so far, but there are more goals I want to achieve in the sport, so I’m now motivated to work even harder,” said the second fastest woman of all-time behind Florence Griffith-Joyner.

Thompson-Herah took the 2021 Diamond League overall title. The Jamaican’s compatriot Shericka Jackson, the bronze medallist in the Olympic 100m last year, and the British pair of Dina-Asher Smith and Daryll Neita, the Olympic relay bronze medallists, should provide stiff competition.