The Diamond League final has come to an end, marking the unofficial conclusion of the 2024 track and field season. As usual, the athletics action during an Olympic year was as good as we could have hoped, and the standouts from day two could not have been more fitting. In this piece, I explore the controversy surrounding Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and examine the amazing years that Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet have enjoyed.

The men’s 1500m and 5000m races in Brussels have balanced the scales of the track world in a way many might have expected (although whether this correction survives the winter break is another story). Ingebrigtsen was back to his winning ways, even showing us that he knows what a middle-distance running tactic is, and Aregawi led an Ethiopian sweep in the 5000m to prove once again that they are the best long-distance runners when it comes to the track – even if they can’t seem to get it right when it matters most.

If the closing ceremony has left a Paris-sized hole in your life, fear not: the first two of the five remaining Diamond Leagues this year have done an admirable job of keeping the Olympic momentum going, and no events have done it better than the men’s middle-distance races. From world records, to Olympic rematches, to historic rivalries, the Lausanne and Silesia Diamond Leagues have provided plenty of excitement as we build towards the final in Brussels next month.

Jessica Hull breaking the 2000m world record. The big three coming together in the men’s 400m hurdles. Djamel Sedjati running another 1:41 to lower his own world lead. Jakob Ingebrigtsen becoming just the fourth man in history to break 3:27. The Monaco Diamond League exceeded expectations in every way imaginable and was the perfect meet just two weeks out from the Olympic opening ceremony.