by Stuart Weir
Diamond League Stockholm
When you come to the Diamond League in Stockholm you step back into history. The London (Olympic) stadium which will host next month’s Diamond League was built in 2012. The Stockholm Olympiastadion in 1912. While London is a purpose-built modern stadium seating 50,000, Stockholm’s capacity is about 13,000. In 1912 it hosted track and field, soccer, gymnastics, wrestling and that great old Olympic sport of Tug of War.
For years it hosted the Djurgardens professional soccer team until they moved to a modern stadium in 2013. The old Olympic stadium hosted the 1958 European Athletics Championships and since 2011 has been an annual Diamond League venue. It even has its own metro station, called Stadion (Stadium).
Hosting an event like the Bauhaus Galan Diamond League is not without its challenges. The media seats and the media center have to be built specially on scaffolding on the old terrace where spectators used to stand. Of course the old historic buildings cannot be amended to meet modern stadium needs but you simply have to forgive it because of its age and heritage.
There is a full program for spectators including a men’s pole vault. I wonder if Sweden has anyone who is any good at pole vault.
