800m
The first two meetings of the men’s 800m Diamond Race set the tone for what would develop into one of the season’s best duels. Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich won in Shanghai, before Pierre-Ambroise Bosse hit back in Rabat.
In Stockholm, the two went head to head, with Rotich just beating Bosse over the line. The Frenchman fought back with victory in London, however, and the two-way battle was balanced on a knife-edge as the pair prepared to clash at the Brussels final.
In the end, neither won on the night in Belgium, but Rotich ahead of Bosse in fourth place, meaning he secured his first Diamond Trophy at the last.
The moment the final 16 #DiamondRace winners of 2016 were crowned at #BrusselsDL
Eunice Sum had dominated the women’s 800m Diamond Race in 2014 and 2015, but there were alarm bells for the Kenyan when Caster Semenya stormed to victory on the opening night in Doha.
Semenya’s win was indeed an indication of a changing of the guard, as the South African went on to win five of the seven Diamond Race meetings.
Though Francine Niyonsaba stayed within touching distance for much of the season, she couldn’t catch Semenya, who completed her Diamond Race triumph with victory at the Zürich final.
1500m
Zürich was also the scene of a most dramatic climax to the women’s 1500m Diamond Race, with British athlete Laura Muir winning the title by a whisker.
Kenyan Faith Kipyegon had won the opening three meetings, and despite victories from Muir in London and Paris, Kipyegon still held a strong lead ahead of Zürich.
Muir almost certainly had to win to claim the Diamond Trophy, and when she was pipped on the line by Shannon Rowbury, it looked like she had fallen short. Kipyegon, though, had slipped into seventh, winning no points in Zürich. That meant second place was enough for Muir to become the first Scottish athlete to win the Diamond Race.
In the men’s 1500m, 2015 champion Asbel Kiprop was the favourite to win the Diamond Race going into the season. Victories in three of the openng four rounds meant the experienced Kenyan seemed more than likely to defend his title.
Elijah Motonei Manangoi had kept up in the standings, though, winning in Rome and notching up several second place finishes to keep a close tail on Kiprop.
As Kiprop’s performances began to drop in Monaco and Lausanne, it seemd Manangoi may have a chance to surprise him in the Brussels final. Third place in Belgium, though, was enough for Kiprop, who claimed a third Diamond Trophy overall.
It’s 3rd place on the night, but it doesn’t matter.@KipropAsbel wins the 1500m #DiamondRace pic.twitter.com/3vxYpP3cNp
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) September 9, 2016