This archive report was first published on 7 November 2019.
Published on November 7, 2019, Olympic and double World 3000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto has expressed his disappointment with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) decision to remove the 3000m steeplechase from the 2020 Diamond League calendar.
According to Kipruto, the move to scrap the event from the calendar is uncalled for and thus the athlete has called on IAAF to reconsider the effected changes.
IAAF announced that while the 3000m steeplechase and three other events – discus, triple jump, and 200m – will not be entitled to a 90-minute broadcast window of the Diamond League, both the 200m and the 3000m steeplechase will be included in 10 meetings (5 male and 5 female) in the 2020 Diamond League season, including Oslo, Rome, and Doha.
Moreover, the four events will not feature in next season’s Diamond League finals.
IAAF conducted online research in China, France, South Africa, and the USA, as well as post-event surveys in Belgium, Great Britain, and Switzerland, which ranked the affected events among the least popular disciplines at the Diamond League.
While the removal of the 5000m from the calendar earlier this year sparked fury from East African nations, notably Kenya and Ethiopia, IAAF held onto its decision.
Athletics Kenya president Jackson Tuwei is yet to reveal the federation's next course of action, but expressed his displeasure with the turn of events.
