Aries Merritt was the first athlete to break a world record at a Diamond League meeting when he smashed the 110m hurdles record with a time of 12.80 seconds in Brussels in 2012. It was a double whammy for Merritt, who would also secure the Diamond Trophy at the same meeting.
Another undisputed Diamond League hero is Genzebe Dibaba, whose finest moment came in Monaco in 2015. Surging ahead of the field in the 1500m, Dibaba came home in 3:50.07, running the last 800 metres in an astonishing 2.01.
Perhaps the most dramatic world record in the Diamond League was set by Kendra Harrison in London in 2016. Having missed out on a place in the USA Olympic team, Harrison made amends with an astonishing 12.20 in the 100m hurdles. The clock initially showed the wrong time, so it was not until a few seconds later that Harrison’s competitors pointed out to her that she had broken the world record. The result: an iconic image of the young hurdler turnining towards the screen in shock and delight at her own achievement.
Just weeks later, 19-year-old Ruth Jebet would set another Diamond League world record in Paris. Having battled with Hyvin Kiyeng for the Diamond Trophy all season, Olympic champion Jebet eventually pulled away with a brilliant world record run of 8:52.78.