2024 Diamond League Final will be a Brussels returning to Europe after the failed 2023 Eugene meeting

40,000 at 2023 Bruxelles

Yeah, a total failure. Just two world records, 12 national records, seven meet records and a Diamond League record, plus one of the greatest mile races ever. Yeah it was terrible. 🙄

Brussels, is that where the EU is governed by non elected officials?

The DL final this year in Eugene was very exciting to watch. Many great performances, fast track, world records and multiple national records.

Brussels will offer more to do than Eugene and a great track atmosphere but I doubt the track is as fast as Eugene’s and the weather could be crappy mid-September.

This was discussed in another thread. The mile was exciting, yes, but it was not a race.

This is NOT news. Having the Diamond League final in Eugene was always planned to be only for 2023. This was announced a long time ago.

1:42, 3:41, 3:43 x2, 46.39, 7:23x 2

is hardly a failed meeting. The atmosphere was electric at Hayward. My only critique was the price of the concessions.

Seb had to take a pee and waited in lines at the Men's. Totally crap design. That's when Seb cancelled the 2024 Eugene DL Final.

He couldn't have cancelled the Eugene Diamond League final because it was never scheduled to be held in Eugene in 2024 in the first place. Stop making things up.

TV ratings dropped. No wonder.

No one suggested the races weren't good. The event failed. Stadium only 2/3 full at best and TV ratings down by nearly 25%. Good performances can happen anywhere but if the product looks second rate, then it harms the sport. TV viewers, execs, and potential sponsors need to feel that there's a buzz around what they're watching, and rows of empty seats isn't good for that. WA needs to keep it's premier events in locations where full stadiums can be guaranteed. Has the new Hayward Field ever sold out for any track event?

It was juvenile delinquents who allocated the hotel rooms with zero balance gift cards then no-showed?

Brussels. King Baudouin Stadium, The most uncomfortable stadium I have ever been in. Who ever designed those seats should be shot.

I get Peacock and watch it there. NBC makes it tough to watch- most people didn't even know it was taking place- that's advertising.

Everyone, even people who don't like football (like me) know that on Sunday at 1:00 you can put it on two of the three major networks and see a game.

And honestly, in the middle of a weekend day most runners are out being active.

Add to that, the average hobby jogger has no clue who Jakob, Mondo, Femke ... are and they don't know the Diamond League exits.

Every golfer who struggles to break 100 knows the best PGA Golfers and when the tournaments are on TV.

Noah Lyles was right- it's marketing.

I have an ex that I hang out with. I watched a Diamond League meet with her earlier in the summer.

I went to her house the weekend of the DL Final- she asked me if there were any meets to watch because she likes watching them with me because I explain them and make them interesting.

She has never run, never been any kind of athlete and never watches sports- unless she's with me watching track or a road race.

Step 1- Market the Meets to get the average non-runner to watch.

Step 2- Get commentators to make it interesting for them.

As much as losers on this board hate Kara G, I think she did a great job, especially with the Mile, 3000 and woman's 5000.

But they aren't consistent.

Doha and Rabat are 3500 miles apart, not much of a pair. No direct flight and no motel 6.

And "just" one financial reward unfairly fully allocated - to Athing Mu in the 800W.

With the wild card rules published, or at least explained, in the very last moment on Sept. 13 here:
- diamondleague.com / news/general/explainer-wild-cards-in-the-wdl-final/
and with probably first case of a wild card winner on the DL circuitit has become clear that wild card rules are definitely unfair.

The case is so clear that DL is ashamed to publish a report on the Finale second day:
diamondleague.com / news/general/tsegay-and-duplantis-break-world-records-at-eugene-final/

________________________________________________________

"In case of victory, the national wild card will receive the full prize money, but will not receive the Diamond Trophy or be crowned Wanda Diamond League champion."

"In case of victory, the global wild card athlete will be crowned Diamond League champion and receive the Diamond Trophy, but will not receive full prize money."

National wild card winner shall share the prize money with DL champion in the ratio of 50 / 50% while a global wild card winner shall receive no more than 60%.

Then make track a Europe-only sport, yeah that’ll solve the US attendance problem. 🙄

Nobody said that. But Europe is the home of athletics, DLs always draw big crowds in Europe and so do World Champs. The US should have a DL, it should have at least two, but the final is supposed to be the showpiece of the DL season. The NFL hosts regular season games in other countries but can you ever imagine the Super Bowl going to another country?