Wanda Daimond League

The news comes in the wake of growing concern over whether the 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan this summer.

According to World Athletics, the first three meets of the 2020 Wanda Diamond League season, scheduled for April 17 in Qatar and May 9 and 16, 2020 in China, cannot be held as planned.

“This decision was made in close consultation with organising committees, local authorities and sports governing bodies,” World Athletics said in a statement.

“It is forbidden to enter Qatar from a number of countries and the government in Doha has suspended all national and international events for a period of 30 days.

While the number of new infections is now decreasing in China, the fact remains that preparations for the meetings have been set back by several weeks and the closed borders and travel restrictions make it impossible to organise international top-level competitions.”

The governing body said the current plan is to stage the Shanghai event on August 13 while new dates for Doha and the second meeting in China remain to be announced.

It could be that they will be held after the Wanda Diamond League Final in Zurich from September 9-11, where the Diamond League Champions will be crowned, should the global situation allow.

Peters, the 2019 and 2022 World Champion, who failed to defend his title in Budapest, struggled for rhythm in his series, registering 78.78m, 78.41m and 77.82m, before hitting his best mark of 81.01m on his final attempt.

The event was won by World Championships bronze medallist, Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, with a mark of 85.86m which came on his final attempt, as he denied newly minted World champion Neeraj Chopra (85.71m) India. Chopra’s mark was also on his final attempt.

Germany’s Julian Weber (85.04m) was third.

The duo has been booked to face off in the 100m, an event that the Jamaican has so far shown strong form in this season.  Fraser-Pryce has clocked the fastest time in the world so far this season, courtesy of a 10.67 clocking in Nairobi in May, which was equalled, in France, in June.

Swoboda, for her part, improved her personal best to 11.05 in Paris last month.

"I feel proud to have my name mentioned alongside Shelly-Ann's. She is an icon," Swoboda said.

"Each athlete dreams of achieving at least half of what Fraser-Pryce has and to stay at the top for this long,” she added.

"I hope it will be the best women's 100m race ever to take place on Polish soil. On 6 August I would like to finish as close to the legend as possible."

The two could, however, could also meet at the Oregon World Championships later this month, where Fraser-Pryce will be looking to defend her world title.

The time put her ahead of compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s 10.86 set last month.

Thompson-Herah, who went into the meet with the second-fastest time in the world this year, 10.88 at the Velocity Fest meeting in Kingston on August 8, was in complete control from the start pulling away mid-race to seal an impressive win.

The USA’s Aleia Hobbs was miles behind in a season-best 11.14 while Marie-Josee Ta Lou turned him her best run this year for third in her season-best of 11.14.

Thompson-Herah’s MVP teammate Anthonique Strachan was eighth in 11.42.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Akani Simbini won the men’s equivalent in 9.96 ahead of Arthur Cisse of the Ivory Coast, who crossed the finish line in a season-best 10.04.

Filippo Tortu of Italy claimed third in 10.09.

Julian Forte stumbled at the start and never recovered finishing sixth in 10.15.

Meanwhile, Armand Duplantis set a world outdoor best of 6.15m erasing the mark held by Ukraine’s Sergei Bubka since 1991.

Karsten Warholm, the metronome, set a new meet record of 47.07 in the 400m hurdles. He has now set four of the 11 fastest times in history this season.

Warholm, clocked the fourth fastest 400m hurdles time in history, as he won in 46.52 seconds, after which his compatriot Ingebrigtsen, established a European men's 1,500m record of three minutes 27.95 seconds, much to the delight of the 15,000 supporters that turned out for the fifth stop on the Wanda Diamond League series.

Just before that, Jamaica’s in-form sprinter, Shericka Jackson, the third-fastest woman in the 100m this year at 10.78s, was beaten into third by Ivory Coast’s Marie Josee Ta Lou, in an event that wasn’t as close as was anticipated.

Ta Lou, who was the second-fastest athlete this year coming into the event, was comfortable in victory, as she clocked a meet record and world leading 10.75s in a positive 0.9 metres per second wind reading. She bettered the longstanding meet record of 10.82s set by Marion Jones in 1998, and the previous world lead of 10.76s set by American Sha’Carri Richardson, last month.

Bahamas Anthonique Strachan was second in a personal best 10.9s, while Jackson (10.98s) recovered from a slow start to take third ahead of the British pair of Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita, who were also clocked at 10.98s.

Clayton earlier ran a brave race for second in a season’s best 53.84s, behind impressive Dutchwoman, Femke Bol, who also clocked a meet record and world leading 52.30s for the 400m hurdles. Incidentally, the previous meet record of 52.61s was set by Bol last year, along with the previous world lead of 52.43s, which she clocked earlier this month.

Panama’s Gianna Woodruff, also with a season’s best 54.46, was third ahead of the other Jamaican Janieve Russell (54.91s). Russell’s time was also a season’s best. ‌

Jamaica’s national record holder Danniel Thomas-Dodd placed third in the women’s shot put event with a mark of 19.44m, which came on her second attempt. She finished behind Canadian Sara Mitton, who won with a throw of 19.54m, while American world leader, Maggie Ewan was second with 19.52m.

World Championships silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts was fourth in the women’s triple jump, after only managing a best of 14.33m, with Thea Lafond of Dominica, finishing fifth with a best leap of 14.21.

World and Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas, topped the event after cutting the sand at 14.91m, just shy of her world lead of 14.96. The Venezuelan won ahead of Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez, with a personal best 14.87m and Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, who also achieved a season’s best 14.75m.

Another Jamaican Kimberly Williams did not start.

Former World Champion Tajay Gayle placed sixth on his Diamond League debut in the men’s long jump. Gayle’s best mark was 7.87m, as Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer (8.32m), American Marquis Dendy (8.26m) and Miltiadis Tentoglou (8.21m) of Greece, took the top three spots.

South African Wayde Van Niekerk continues to round into form, as he topped the men’s 400m in 44.38s, ahead of Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga (44.49s) and American Vernon Norwood, who clocked a season’s best 44.51s.

Meanwhile, there were also meet records for 19-year-old American Erriyon Knighton, who won the men's 200m in 19.77s to beat the mark previously held by sprint legend Usain Bolt.

Kenya's Beatrice Chebet won the women’s 3,000m in a world-leading 8:25.01, while a brilliant men's 5,000m race went down to the wire with Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha awarded victory over Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo in the fifth-fastest time in history (12:41:73).

Swedish star Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis took victory in the men's pole vault where he was the only athlete to clear 6.01 metres.

The next Diamond League event takes place in Lausanne, Switzerland on 30 June.