MONACO (AP) — The IAAF says New York has opted out of hosting a Diamond League track meet, preferring a street event to attract young fans.
New York meet director Mark Wetmore said in an IAAF statement Thursday that “changing our focus to a street meet is one way to make the event attractive to a younger audience.”
Instead, the elite series will go to Africa for the first time.
The IAAF said Rabat, Morocco, will have Diamond League status on May 22 for the annual Meeting International Mohammed VI.
The New York meeting at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island was a fixture on the 14-meet circuit since its launch in 2009. The United States now has just one Diamond League meet, on May 28 in Eugene, Oregon.
2016 IAAF Diamond League calendar
6 May – Doha, QAT
14 May – Shanghai, CHN
22 May – Rabat, MAR
28 May – Eugene, USA
2 Jun – Rome, ITA
5 Jun – Birmingham, GBR
9 Jun – Oslo, NOR
16 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
15 Jul – Monaco, MON
22-23 Jul – London, GBR
25 Aug – Lausanne, SUI
27 Aug – Paris, FRA
1 Sep – Zurich, SUI
9 Sep – Brussels, BEL
