Tero Pitkämäki – Men’s Javelin
Last Friday, Pitkämäki became the first Finnish athlete ever to win the Diamond Race. Not only that, but before the action started in Brussels, few would have given him a chance. Six points behind Diamond Race leader Vítezslav Veselý ahead of the final, Pitkämäki had held his own in the 2015 Diamond Race, but needed a fine performance and a good amount of fortune if he was to take the Diamond Trophy. He got both, throwing 87.37m at his second attempt. With Veselý unable to break into the top three on the night, the Finn was able to overtake, clinching the Diamond Trophy by two points at the very last moment.
Christian Taylor – Men’s Triple Jump
The season opener in Doha saw Christian Taylor and Pedro Pablo Pichardo begin what would become a superb summer rivalry. Pichardo won in Qatar, and despite victory for Taylor in BIrmingham, it looked like the Cuban would take the Diamond Trophy with ease as the season reached its peak. Trailing by six points ahead of Lausanne, and knowing that if he didn’t win, Pichardo probably would, Taylor essentially had to claim victory in all three remaining meetings if he were to defend his Diamond Trophy. That he did, outdoing Pichardo with an immense psychological and physical effort in the second half of the season. The resumption of their duel in 2016 is mouth-watering.
Zuzana Hejnová – Women’s 400m Hurdles
In terms of sheer size, Hejnová’s was the biggest comeback of the season by far. Kaliese Spencer dominated the first three meetings in the women’s 400m hurdles, taking three wins out of three. By the time Paris rolled around, Spencer was 10 points ahead of Hejnová, and looked certain to wrap up the Diamond Trophy with ease. Cue the Czech blasting her way to three victories in the next three meetings, thereby overtaking Spencer and holding a two point lead before the final. By that point, Hejnová’s transformation of this Diamond Race was complete, and she took a fourth consecutive victory in Zürich to secure her second Diamond Trophy.
Barbara Spotáková – Women’s Javelin
The Czech javelin thrower had won the Diamond Race three times prior to this season, yet she had never been able to defend her title successfully. 2015 was set to be her year to finally do so, particularly given that her long time Diamond Race rival Christina Obergföll had only just returned from maternity leave. It didn’t start well for Spotáková, though, who failed to get a victory. Absent in Shanghai, and reaching only fifth place in Eugene and third in Oslo, Spotáková had one point to her name with nearly half the season still to go. Victories in Paris and Stockholm flanked a second place finish in London, however, and suddenly Spotáková was back to where she had expected to be at the top of the Diamond Race. In Zürich, she finished the job superbly, taking victory and retaining her Diamond Trophy for the first time.
Asbel Kiprop – Men’s 1500m
Back in 2010, Asbel Kiprop became the first ever winner of the men’s 1500m Diamond Race. The crown has eluded him since then, with the likes of Silas Kiplagat and Ayanleh Souleiman taking it in recent years. Kiplagat and Souleiman had stayed just ahead for most of the 2015 Diamond Race too, leaving Kiprop in third place ahead of the final in Zürich, two points adrift of the top of the table. At the bell, Kiprop was back in tenth place, but launched a trademark surge to the front in the final lap, completing a fine comeback not only on the night, but in the Diamond Race too.