by Larry EderThe Doha Diamond League has been around for over a decade. Its spot on the Diamond League schedule is back post-pandemic and the meet delivered in 2022. Great performances, tough fields, and an overly enthusiastic crowd highlight the 2022 event. Here are five big reasons why RunBlogRun believes the event rocked.
Doha Diamond League, photo by Diamond League AG
- Doha is the near-perfect place to open the Diamond League each season. Doha team goes to great lengths to insure that athletes, and media have what they need during their stay. Workouts are arranged, physical therapy, great food and restful hotel rooms are what I found during the six years I was invited to Doha.
- Athletes want to open in warm weather, hence, incredible fields at all events. Is there a bad field at Doha? Not that I can remember. An incredible javelin competition, with two incredible 200-meter competitions, and fields in the distance races (like the women’s 3000m and men’s steeple) that totally blew the Old Doha Sports Club stadium apart!
- Mondo Duplantis set his Doha event record with a 6.02-meter clearance. Okay, technically it was inside the ASPIRE arena, an indoor facility, due to the gusty winds in Doha, but hey, it was Duplantis’ first appearance in the Doha Diamond League meeting.
- Francine Nyonsaba versus Faith KIpyegon. No one could have some up with a finer battle. These two just tore it up. In our opinion, it was the race of the night! How will they compete in Eugene? Francine will probably go 5000m and 10,000m, and Faith in the 800 and 1,500m. Too bad that they did not get a chance to meet in Eugene.
- Two incredible furlongs! Gabby Thomas won the women’s 200m and Noah Lyles won the men’s 200m. Both athletes were pressed, as they always are, and they kept their composure and took the wins. The crowd was entertained by two top 200m fields as well as the distance events.
