Paris (AFP)

The final of the Diamond League, played so far in Zurich and Brussels on two different dates, will take place only in Zurich in 2020 and 2021, announced Monday the International Athletics Federation (IAAF).

The move to a single final had already been announced in March by the IAAF and is part of a comprehensive reform of the main circuit of athletics from 2020 with notably fewer meetings and fewer events. The exact contours of upcoming changes for upcoming seasons will be unveiled in September and October.

The choice for 2020 and 2021 of Zurich, which shared the organization of the final with Brussels, was dictated in particular by the renovation work to be undertaken in the King-Baudoin Stadium, according to the IAAF.

According to the scheme presented in March by the IAAF, the Diamond League should remove a meeting from 2020 (there are 14 today including two finals) to include 12 meetings plus a final, and propose a competition per week to clarify more. The world circuit also plans to reduce the size of the number of events to keep 24 (12 for women, 12 for men) against 32 currently, including removing the 5,000 men and women.

The meetings will also be reduced to one hour thirty instead of two hours.

kn / dhe

© 2019 AFP