2024 Diamond League Final explained: Everything you need to know about the grand finale in Brussels, Belgium
The 2024 Diamond League ends on 13 and 14 September, with the grand finale of the 15-event series held at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels.
Athletics
With the excitement of Paris 2024 in the rearview mirror and much of the year's track and field history already written, the Diamond League Final in Brussels offers one last chance for athletes to leave their mark on 2024.
Athletes from all over the world compete in 14 meetings across four continents in a season-long battle for points, fame, and the chance to take part in one of the most coveted events of the year: the Diamond League Final.
Held from 13-14 September, this year’s final will see the very best from the 2024 season take the track and field for one last time, vying for titles to end their years on a high note.
But what exactly makes the final so special? And how do athletes get there? Olympics.com dives in to break it down.
Diamond League explained
The Diamond League is often referred to as the crown jewel of athletics. It’s a series of elite meetings where established stars and rising talent face off in 16 core disciplines. These include everything from the 100-metre dash to high jump, javelin throw, and more.
Over the course of 14 meetings, which typically run from April to September, athletes compete to accumulate points in their respective events.
The goal? To secure a spot in the 15th and final meeting and take home the ultimate diamond trophy.
How does the point system work?
The journey to the Diamond League final is no walk in the park, as only the most consistent and dominant athletes qualify for this high-stakes showdown in Brussels.
At each of the 14 series meetings, athletes are awarded points based on their performance. If you place first, you earn eight points. The second-place finisher takes seven, and so on, with the athlete up to 8th place still picking up a single point. These points accumulate throughout the season, determining who makes the cut for the final.
The qualification system differs slightly depending on the event. For field events, the top six competitors by points qualify for the final. For track events, ranging from the 100 metres to the 800 metres, the top eight advance. In the 1500 meters and longer distances, the top ten athletes earn a ticket to Brussels.
If there’s a tie in points, the athlete with the best legal performance of the season is ranked higher, adding even more intensity to each throw, jump, or sprint.
The final: A winner-takes-all spectacle
And then there’s the 2024 final; two days of breathtaking athletics at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme meeting in Brussels. Named after the late Belgian middle-distance runner Ivo Van Damme, the meeting is steeped in history and tradition.
For the athletes, it’s a chance to make one more statement and take home the prestigious title. For fans, it’s a chance to witness history in the making.
The final is all about winning. Here, only the most elite competitors in each discipline remain, battling it out in a winner-takes-all format. Each discipline crowns one male and one female champion, for a total of 32 champions across the two days.
Victors don’t just get to hoist the prestigious diamond trophy. They also take home $30,000 in prize money and earn a wildcard spot for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Japan, meaning they’ve already punched their ticket to the next global stage.
With over 70,000 tickets sold, the Memorial Van Damme is set to break its own attendance record, as well as that of any previous Diamond League Final. The stage will be packed with talent, featuring the most Olympic medals ever gathered at the start of the competition, over 100 in total.
As the curtains close on this year’s season, a star-studded lineup of Olympic heroes, world champions, and emerging stars are set to compete at the 2024 Diamond League Final, making the grand finale one you don't want to miss.