Looking forward to Christian Coleman’s debut in the Diamond League this year. The team at the Diamond League put together some of their favorite debuts in the past Diamond League seasons.
Christian Coleman wins 60 meter World Indoors in Championship record of 6.37! photo by PhotoRun.net
Diamond League Debuts
Coleman is the name on everyone’s lips when it comes to the sprints, having enjoyed a stellar indoor season which saw him break the 60m world record and take gold at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
The 22-year-old is set to make appearances at both Paris and London this season, as he launches his first ever IAAF Diamond League campaign. Whether he takes the Diamond Trophy or not this year, many will expect Coleman to make an explosive debut on the IAAF Diamond League circuit.
He would not be the first athlete to do so. Several top stars have got their Diamond League careers off to winning starts in recent years. We take a look back at a few of the best Diamond League debuts…
Pedro Pablo Pichardo – Triple Jump, Lausanne, 2013
Pichardo’s finest season in the IAAF Diamond League remains 2015, when he engaged in an enthralling battle for the Diamond Trophy with Christian Taylor, beating the American three times in the first half of the season before eventually letting the title slip out of his grasp.
Yet the Cuban had already made an impact two years earlier, when he made his Diamond League debut at Athletissima in 2013. Pichardo jumped 17.58m to win in Lausanne, beating both Taylor and Teddy Tamgho.
Tori Bowie – 200m, Eugene, 2014
Though Bowie had competed at several IAAF Diamond League meetings in the long jump, her first Diamond League appearance as a sprinter came in Eugene in 2014, as she set a world lead of 22.18s.
Bowie would win in Eugene again in 2017, before going on to become World Champion in the 100m later that summer.
Michelle-Lee Ahye – 100m, Lausanne, 2014
Also in 2014, Trinidad & Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye made her very first appearance on the IAAF Diamond League circuit, storming to victory in 10.98s in the 100m in Lausanne.
Ahye would follow it up with another win in Glasgow later that summer, but it wasn’t enough for her to claim the Diamond Trophy.
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Omar McLeod – 110m Hurdles, Doha, 2016
McLeod had quite a year in 2016. In his first full year as a professional, the Jamaican hurdler won two IAAF Diamond League meetings before claiming the gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games.
It all started in Doha, where McLeod made his Diamond League debut, coming up against the likes of David Oliver, Aries Merritt and Orlando Ortega. McLeod beat them all, coming in at 13.05 seconds to take victory in his first Diamond League appearance and set the tone for an astonishing season.
Noah Lyles – 200m, Shanghai, 2017
Noah Lyles was just 19 when he made his Diamond League debut last May, and he burst out of the blocks to stun the world with a superb win in Shanghai.
The American surged ahead of the rest of the field, running 19.90s to take victory. The win early in the season proved enough to secure Lyles a place in the IAAF Diamond League Final, and he pulled off another astonishing performance in Brussels, running 20.00s to take the Diamond Trophy.