Diamond League returning to China in ’22

First time in that nation since pandemic

The Diamond League announced a provisional calendar on Thursday for the 2022 track and field season that begins in May and ends with the finale in September, with athletes set to compete in China for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

The season begins in Doha on May 13 and ends in Zurich on Sept. 7-8, while China plays host to meets in July and August. The two events in China this year were cancelled due to strict travel restrictions amid the pandemic.

There are no Canadian stops on the tour.

“Athletes will compete for points in 13 series meetings from May to September, with the most successful qualifying for the two-day season finale in Zurich and a shot at the prestigious Diamond Trophy,” organizers said in a statement.

“The calendar remains subject to changes depending on the global health situation in 2022.”

Women were the target of 87 per cent of the social media abuse that a sample of athletes faced during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to a World Athletics study published on Thursday.

The research, carried out in collaboration with data science company Signify Group, found that the abuse included sexist, racist, transphobic and homophobic content, as well as unfounded doping accusations.

The study included a sample of 161 Twitter handles of current and former athletes (81 women, 80 men) involved in the Tokyo Games, from a list of 200 athletes selected by World Athletics.

Of the 23 athletes who received abuse in the posts identified by the study, 16 were women, while 63 per cent of the total abuse was directed at two Black female athletes.

The study identified 132 discriminatory posts, while 10 per cent of abuse consisted of transphobic and homophobic material.

“When we published our Safeguarding Policy earlier this month, I said athletics clubs, schools and community sports environments should be safe and happy places for those in our sport,” said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.

“This research is disturbing in so many ways but what strikes me the most is that the abuse is targeted at individuals who are celebrating and sharing their performances and talent as a way to inspire and motivate people.”