Discus loses Diamond League status when the International Athletics Association, IAAF, chooses to redo the format of the competition from 2020.
The branch is simply not popular enough and thus not places when the competitions are to be changed from 120 to 90 minutes in the coming season. Discus will have a competition in the gala package on the ladies and gentlemen's side. Other branches that are affected are three steps, 200 meters and 3000 meters of obstacles.
Already on October 1, the throwing organization Global Throwing sent a list of proposals to, among others, the IAAF and the European Athletics Association to prevent them from throwing the disc out of the Diamond League. Joining the organization are Daniel Ståhl and Fedrick Dacres, Simon Pettersson and star coach Vesteinn Hafsteinsson. But also the old icon Gerd Kanter, who won both the World Cup and Olympic gold and threw over 73 meters.
Some of the suggestions they made were:
- Alternate spears and discs every two years.
- Limit the starting field to eight participants so that everyone can compete after three attempts
- Change the number of attempts to four instead of six and two attempts per height in height jump, instead of the current three. This is to reduce the length of the competitions.
- Move the warm-up to the outside of the stadium, to the proposed portable facilities, so that the athletes can start competing directly when they enter the arena.
- Two branches at the same time. Most arenas have dual sets, so the men's long jump would be proposed in parallel with the women's three-stage. This would mean that the program does not take longer than a single event.
However, the IAAF chose not to listen to any proposals.
- We have not received any response. They talk about collaboration, but they don't listen to anyone. I would like to know who decides. They decide everything behind closed doors. Who are they? Come out! Stand by what you say. Talk to us, Daniel Ståhl's coach Vesteinn Hafsteinsson tells SVT Sport.
Has the IAAF been in contact with you?
- I think they drove right over us. We come up with several suggestions. They thank you for sending the letter, but we have not received any response to it. We decided to go that route to make suggestions instead of going to attack. We wanted to show some class-act and willingness to cooperate, but no contact whatsoever.
The Swedish Athletics Association has been on the same line as Global Throwing. Already on August 22, they submitted a proposal to the IAAF. The proposal included four attempts instead of the current six, and that warming would take place outside the arena.