Canadian contenders focused on Diamond League Final after successful athletics worlds
CBC
It's been a top priority for Sarah Mitton this outdoor season. Aaron Brown hasn't stopped his pursuit despite disappointment at the World Athletics Championships. And as a newly crowned world champion, Marco Arop is further motivated to achieve his next goal.
For four months, the elite track and field athletes have competed around the world for a chance to qualify for the Sept. 16-17 Diamond League Final in hopes of becoming Canada's first champion since shot putter Dylan Armstrong in 2011.
"I know she has sights on winning Diamond League. She isn't working this hard for second," said Mitton's coach Rich Parkinson, months before she became the first-ever Canadian woman to earn a world shot put medal with silver last Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.
Mitton finished second at her first Diamond League Final a year ago in Zurich, falling short of the 20 metres needed to upend Chase Ealey of the United States.
Sprinter Brown and middle-distance runner Arop — the other top contenders to make an appearance at this year's Final in Eugene, Ore. — placed top-three a year ago and are inching closer to the coveted title of Diamond League champion that includes $30,000 US in prize money and a trophy.
But work remains to qualify, with Brown, relay teammate Andre De Grasse and Arop looking to improve their chances this week. The former competes Thursday at the Weltklasse Zurich meet, which will be streamed live on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem at 2 p.m. ET. Arop will race the men's 800 metres on Saturday in Xiamen, China, with coverage on the CBC platforms at 7 a.m. ET.
All season, athletes have been awarded points for ranking first through eighth at each meet, with the top eight runners in the 100m to 800m events advancing to the Final. The top six in field events move on, along with the top 10 in the 1,500 and distance competitions.
Should there be a tie, the athlete with the best legal performance of the season is ranked higher.
WATCH | Athletics North recaps World Athletics Championships:
De Grasse and Brown are outside the top eight in the 100 and not part of the entry list for the pre-Final race on Saturday in Xiamen.
Instead, they will run the 200 in Zurich at 3:41 p.m. ET in a field featuring five of the nine runners from the Aug. 25 world final, including Americans Noah Lyles (gold medal) and Erriyon Knighton (silver).
Brown is tied with Cuba's Reynier Mena and Knighton for second with 16 points, three behind Liberian-American Joseph Fahnbulleh.
Last year, Brown was second at the Diamond League Final in the 200 and third in the 100. On Thursday, he'll need to show he has moved beyond the disappointment of being disqualified in the world 200 semifinals for a lane infringement.
De Grasse and Kyree King of the United States are tied for eighth in the Diamond League standings. King isn't in Zurich but could boost his point total at the last pre-Final meet on Sept. 8 in Brussels. De Grasse was sixth in last week's 200 final in Budapest in 20.14 seconds and told CBC Sports he needs to become a contender again in the 100 next season.
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