Moroccan Nawal El Moutawakel, vice-president of the International Olympic Committee and an IAAF Council member, described the Doha Diamond League meeting as the finest season-opener in athletics. El Moutawakel said the biggest event the world knows in athletics is the World Championships, but Doha clearly showed what the challenge at the World Championships will look like. She said the opening Diamond League meeting represents the launch point for athletics in the new season, especially with the wonderful organisation and the crowd’s engagement with the races and events cementing the meeting’s success. El Moutawakel said she was delighted with Doha’s continued success in the Diamond League and in athletics championships held on Qatari soil, noting that having Dahlan Al Hamad at the head of both the Asian and Qatari athletics federations means great success for everything related to athletics, technically and organisationally, wishing Doha every success. El Moutawakel also praised the large crowd turnout, which gave the Doha meeting a special flavour through its engagement with the champions on the track and in the field.
