The first meeting of the Diamond League concluded yesterday, Friday 11 May 2012, held at Qatar Sports Club with outstanding, superb organisation, crowned by the breaking of seven meeting records – four for the men and three for the women – along with one equalled mark in the men’s high jump and seven of the world’s best performances of the year. The championship also saw an unprecedented turnout of the world’s male and female stars at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium at Qatar SC, with the huge crowd enjoying four hours of intense competition and the superb performances put on by the stars of the mother of sports on Qatari soil. Naturally, the leading stars took near-total control of the top positions in most events, delivering a magnificent showcase of performance.
The competition drew a notable turnout of dignitaries, led by HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, secretary-general of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Mr Lamine Diack, president of the IAAF. Among those receiving guests at the Doha meeting were Abdullah Ahmed Al Zaini, president of the Qatar Athletics Federation, and Mr Adel Mohammed Al Baker, secretary-general, while the meeting was also attended by numerous guests of Qatar from the presidents of Arab and international federations. As expected, the competition saw a fierce battle among the world’s leading champions, who competed with strength and honour to deliver outstanding results confirming their high state of readiness for the upcoming international commitments, most importantly the London 2012 Olympics,
Below are the records set at the championship
1 Walter Dix, USA, men’s 200m, 20.02 seconds
2 LaShawn Merritt, USA, men’s 400m, 44.19 seconds
3 Silas Kiplagat, Kenya, men’s 1500m, 3:29.63 minutes
4 Paul Koech, Kenya, men’s 3000m steeplechase, 7:56.58 minutes
5 Dimitrios Chondrokoukis, Greece, men’s high jump, 2.32m, equalled record
6 Allyson Felix, USA, women’s 100m, 10.92 seconds
7 Pamela Jelimo, Kenya, women’s 800m, 1:56.94 minutes
8 Nadzeya Ostapchuk, Belarus, shot put, 20.53m
