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≡ DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
As previously announced, the Wanda Diamond League will increase its prize money to $9.24 million in 2025 from about $6.90 million in 2024, but without any details. Now we know.
In 2024, the Diamond League in-meet payouts were:
● 2024: $25,000 per event in 14 Diamond League meets
($10,000-6,000-3,500-2,000-1,250-1,000-750-500).
● 2024: $60,000 per event in the Diamond League Final
($30,000-12,000-7,000-4,000-2,500-2,000-1,5000-1,000).
For 2025, there will be four tiers: an increased standard event pay-out of $30,000-plus, a payout of $50,000-plus for four events per meet (about $7 million total) and $2.24 million for the Diamond League final (with pay now for places 9-12, if applicable) for Diamond and new, Diamond+ disciplines:
● 2025: $32,000 per Diamond discipline at 14 meets
($10,000-6,000-4,000-3,000-2,500-2,000-1,500-1,000 and 500 for 9-12)
● 2025: $53,000 per Diamond+ discipline at 14 meets
($20,000-10,000-6,000-5,000-3,000-2,500-2,000-1,500 and 750 for 9-12)
● 2025: $62,000 per Diamond discipline at the Diamond League Final
($30,000-12,000-7,000-4,000-2,500-2,000-1,500-1,000 and 500 for 9-12)
● 2025: $104,000 per Diamond+ discipline at the Diamond League Final
($50,000-20,000-10,000-6,000-5,000-4,000-3,000-2,000 and 1,000 for 9-12)
What events will be Diamond+? The announcement explains:
“There will be four (two male and two female) Diamond+ Disciplines at each series meeting and eight (four male and four female) at the Final. Each meeting will announce their Diamond+ Disciplines in the first half of 2025.”
The total athlete support package was summarized:
● “Including promotional fees for top athletes, a total of around 18 million USD will be paid to athletes in total over the course of the 2025 season.”
● “As every year and in addition, around 6 million USD will be invested in athlete services such as travel and transport, accommodation and medical and physio provision.”
As usual, the schedule stretches over the spring and summer, from April to the end of August:
● April (1): Xiamen
● May (3): Suzhou, Doha, Rabat
● June (4): Rome, Oslo, Stockholm, Paris
● July (3): Eugene, Monaco, London
● August (4): Chorzow, Lausanne, Brussels, Zurich
In terms of conflicts, the new Grand Slam Track program starts early from 4-6 April in Kingston (JAM) and the first Diamond League meet comes on 26 April in China. The next meet, from 2-4 May in Miramar, Florida, conflicts with the Suzhou Diamond League (3rd), but the other two are clear, on 30 May-1 June in Philadelphia and 27-29 June in Los Angeles. The Grand Slam Track payouts are to be $100,000 for each winner, down to $10,000 for eighth place.
The increased prize money follows the lead of World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe (GBR) to inject more athlete pay into meets, as well as the pressure from the new Grand Slam Track program, and the Athlos NYC meet in September, which had limited fields and paid $60,000-25,000-10,000-8,000-5,000-2,500 for each event.
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