November 7, 2019 – ‘Discus Queen’ Sandra Perkovic will not compete in the Diamond League next year as the discus throw has been eliminated from the program.
T.portal writes that the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) has identified the disciplines that will be in the Diamond League program for 2020. However, there is no discus throw among those selected, meaning that Croatia’s best female athlete Sandra Perkovic will not compete in the most elite series of athletic meetings.
In addition to removing the discus throw from the Diamond League program, they dropped the triple jump and 200m and 3000m hurdles. The IAAF’s decision applies to both the male and female competition.
Thus, we will certainly not see Croatia’s best female athlete in the strongest competition of the world’s best female athletes next year. This also means a substantial financial loss for Sandra, as it includes tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses, and appearances in the Diamond League also binds generous sponsors.
Note that the ‘reformed’ Diamond League will have 14 meetings in the program and the already traditional Zurich finals. Athletes will compete in 12 disciplines, with IAAF leaders explaining that the discus throw, triple jump and 3000m hurdles race were eliminated because they are ‘at the bottom of the list of interesting disciplines chosen by the polled spectators’. The 200 meter hurdles race was ’sacrificed’ because of the much more popular 100 meter race.
However, it has been announced that the discus throw will be in one of the 12 Diamond League meetings, but will certainly not be in the Zurich finals.
The good news is that Sandra Perkovic will not run out of competition next year as she will find solace in the Continental Tour, a new series of meetings that will nominally be a step below the Diamond League. So, which cities will host Sandra Perkovic next season? Perhaps the cities where the IAAF World Challenge were held – like Sao Paolo, Osaka, Nanjing, Hengelo, Turku, Ostrava, Berlin, and Zagreb.
The IAAF also announced that at the end of next season, they would re-evaluate all disciplines, including those eliminated, in order to make a better decision on the discipline program for 2021.
“I can understand all the disappointed athletes whose disciplines are not in the Diamond League, but we must also strive for more exciting disciplines,” said Sebastian Coe, president of the Diamond League.
Thus, next year, only Croatian athletes Ana Simic (high jump), Filip Mihaljevic and Stipe Zunic (shot put), and Sarah Kolak (javelin throw) will compete in the Diamond League.
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