Following the publication of the updated athletic calendar by the International Athletics Association World Athletics, it is clear that the Diamond League gala at Stockholm Stadium will take place on Sunday, August 23.
- It's really such a good date we can have given the conditions. It is good that it is not too close in time, but that it is still summer and a decent temperature, says competition manager Jan Kowalski to SVT Sport.
Kowalski says that the gala is planned based on several different scenarios because they do not know what restrictions apply at the end of August.
- We must prioritize security and follow the general recommendations of the authorities, which comes first. Then we have to be flexible and think about how we plan for a competition with and without an audience and with different travel opportunities, he says.
Rather gala with no audience than no gala- But it is too early to have a probability or certainty in one or the other scenario. All we know is that it will not be as usual on August 23, but there will be some kind of restrictions.
What do you think about getting your international participants?
- We dream of being able to get some international participants, then hopefully it will be a more exciting competition. But it is too early to say, it is three months left and much can still happen.
Economically, it is of course a great advantage to arrange the gala with the audience. But Kowalski would rather see the gala performed without an audience than it will be canceled.
- Economically, it means a lot to have an audience, but in this situation safety is most important. If we can arrange the gala without an audience, it is much better than setting it up.
The Bauhaus Gala will be one of the first Diamond League competitions out of the season. The Gala in Stockholm should have been organized on May 24.