Sydney McLaughlin to double in DL Final - an event she's not eligible for - Update: DL will not let her run

Bear with me but I just want to get this straight before I reply to a discussion on a social media site.

SML cannot run because:

1. She ran no DL meets at all, let alone the 200 and 400 and the Zurich meet does not have a 200 or 400 DL event. She would had to have run those events.

2. She is not the Olympic, World or WR holder in either of the two events.

Is this correct/all?

I may have missed it in the 11 pages, but seemingly we've overlooked - how does the DL Final initially announce her, without knowing their own rule?

How did this even happen in the first place?

She knew the rules ahead of time, maybe next time she will abide by them. Even God can't get her in. What a DIVA.

1. Looks like there's some room for interpretation as to whether the previous DL race needed to be a 200/400 in order to compete in those finals, but yes at minimum she needed to have at least one DL race this season and she has zero.

2. Global wild card has to be either defending Oly champ, World champ, DL champ, WR Holder, or top 5 WA rankings in their discipline, or top WA rankings 20 overall. Syd is 9th overall in WA rankings so she meets this.

This proves why the Diamond League is stuck in the past and can’t be taken seriously. SML, undoubtedly the greatest female track and field athlete today (soon to be all time), announces she’ll run the 200 and 400 at the DL final (reposting the DL official instagram page of the announcement)—huge news for the sport. It’s a chance to draw in more fans, give the league much-needed visibility, and spotlight a star who is purposeful with their racing.

But instead of capitalizing on the moment, the Diamond League completely fumbles it. After announcing her participation, they backtrack because she didn’t qualify by points. Sure, maybe Petr Stastny was technically right to say she couldn’t compete under the rules. But the real issue is the utter mismanagement. How does an organization at this level let something like this happen? It’s embarrassing.

This isn’t about whether the rules were followed—it’s about the disorganization and poor communication that led to this mess. The Diamond League’s leadership let it spiral into a public fiasco. Announcing Sydney’s participation only to revoke it days later? It’s sloppy, amateurish, and humiliating for the circuit. Sydney has 1.5 million followers—far more than the Diamond League’s 900k—and yet they’ve managed to turn what should’ve been a huge boost for the sport into a PR disaster.

Let’s be clear, this isn’t a global sports league. It’s the biggest track and field circuit out there, but it’s run like a European sideshow, completely out of touch with how to promote the sport and handle its stars. This situation only strengthens the case for new leagues like Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track League, which could finally bring real professionalism and innovation to track and field.

Now, on to the complaints about how often she competes. First of all, she ran multiple times ahead of the Olympic Trials—yes, mostly in the U.S., but let’s not pretend it’s easy for U.S. athletes to travel to Europe for one-off races multiple times a year. Coming from L.A. to Europe for a Diamond League event with low prize money just doesn’t make sense. This is part of the problem: the Diamond League doesn’t provide enough incentive for top athletes to compete more often.

But really, who cares how often she races? SML is one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. Every time she steps on the track, she’s breaking records or putting on a masterclass. She’s incredibly purposeful and strategic with her race plan and execution. So instead of complaining about how often she competes, people should be grateful they get to witness her greatness whenever she does. It’s rare, it’s exceptional, and every race she runs is something to be celebrated.

The Diamond League had a golden opportunity to elevate the sport with Sydney at the final. Instead, they mismanaged it from start to finish. And that’s why they’re stuck in the past and deserve to be left behind.

L SML. This is what happens when you never race to avoid testers.

She should earn it. She never races so she did not earn it. It is a simple rule. Just race ONE diamond league this year and she could get the wild card. but NOOOO she needs to hide from her competition and now is facing the consequences. Besides DL maintaining the rules is good for the sport as a whole as it ensures everyone is held to the same standard which is how it should work in every profession.

Did you read what I wrote? I'm not debating the rules, you moron.

All criteria has to be in their discipline, right? So SML at some point had to satisfy the 200/400 criteria?

Wow

I didn't know testers only show up on race day...

This is correct - Sydney meets one requirement for a wild card by virtue of having a top 20 overall WA ranking, but does not meet the second requirement to have competed in a least one previous Diamond League meeting. I don't think she would have had to run the 200/400 at a previous Diamond League meeting, she just would have had to run some event. Earlier in this thread someone pointed out that on the WA rankings site the athletes have an event list next to their name (see link below), and it would make sense if they could compete in the events listed - and Sydney has the 200, 400 and 400 hurdles listed as her events. I'm guessing the events listed are the ones they've competed in this year that contributed to their ranking, but if anyone knows more about why those events are listed on the site I'd be interested to know.

worldathletics.org

World Rankings | Women's Overall Ranking

Open link

After I made my comments here last night I was wondering how Sebastian Coe could take this type of risk. I assumed he had okayed the decision, since it had been publicly announced.

Totally throwing away eligibility requirements seemed like a bizarre choice, for someone who desperately wants to be IOC President. Coe is going to have considerable opposition to begin with. An issue like this would potentially be a silver platter toward groundswell against him, even if they don't have a preferred candidate in mind. Every little guy in that room could envision Coe twisting the rules against their country and athletes at the last minute, if a big shot coughed.

Regardless, I applaud the decision. The undercard is a good transitional destination for Sydney.

Baby steps

I don't think it has to be in their discipline if you're meeting the criteria by having a top 20 overall World Ranking. The overall World Ranking is not specific to any discipline, it's just overall across all disciplines.

Just to add it to the thread again, below is the exact wording of the regulation. On the first bullet point, I think it's clear that you just have to compete in some event at a previous DL meeting, not necessarily the one you'll be in at the DL final. On the second bullet point, overall World Rankings are not specific to a particular event if that is how you're meeting that requirement.

To be eligible and considered for a Global Wild Card athletes must:

o have either competed and achieved a result in at least one Diamond League meeting during the season or competed and got injured at a Diamond League Meeting;

o be placed in the top 5 World Rankings of their discipline, or in the top 20 of the overall World Rankings, or be the current World Record Holder, or the current Olympic/ World / Diamond League champion;

Ah, this is confusing. Anyway, I guess they would've found a way to grease her through if one was possible, I don't think they deliberately did not want her there.

Correct. There is a 400h tmw she could easily run. But she won't.

But Brussels deserves a lot of blame here for doing this.

No. It wouldn't matter if she was the WR holder in those events.

She's ineligible because she didn't do any regular seasons DL meets. If she had run a single DL event, I think she'd be eligible for whatever she wanted as she's ranked in the top 20 in the world overall.

Open image

Then why not run hurdles in Zurich?

Quoting rules for 11 pages, JFC distance runners earn their reputation.