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.

The 2024 Paris Diamond League produced two of the best races of the year. Djamel Sedjati pipped Emmanuel Wanyonyi at the line in a historically fast men’s 800m that saw six athletes break 1:43. Not two hours later, Faith Kipyegon bettered her own world record in the women’s 1500m while towing Jessica Hull around her favourite European stadium.

The Diamond League made its one and only American stop last weekend at the Prefontaine Classic. The second most anticipated meet of the year (behind only the Olympics) featured a long-awaited rematch between rivals, the breaking of a historic barrier, and the return of world champions. In this piece, we break down the four most notable storylines of the day and what they mean in the context of the Paris Olympics.

The rematch between Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen is here. After Kerr beat his Norwegian counterpart to the 1500m global title last year, an ever-souring rivalry has become the focus of the running world. Who will win in their first race since the World Championships last year?

The Diamond League’s Asian leg, which consisted of three meets spread between China and Qatar, came to a close last weekend in Doha. Here are nine takeaways from the opening meets of this ever-important Olympic season.