2023 Diamond League Final: Van Niekerk misses chance to win first Diamond League trophy

Former Olympic and two-time World champion, Wayde van Niekerk has withdrawn from this weekend’s Diamond League final.

The South African’s name was conspicuosly missing from the list of nine athletes that will compete for the Diamond League trohy and the $30,000 top prize
money on offer for the winner of the full lap race.

Van Niekerk made the initial cut for the final after finishing second in the standings with 24 points behind USA’s Norwood Vernon who finished top with 26
points.

The 31 year old won in all three Diamond League races he participated in this year and looks to be getting back to shape on his return from injury when he
ran 44.08 in Silesia, Poland with just a little over month to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The South African however failed to add to his two world titles after finishing seventh in the final of the event in Budapest.

Since the World Championships ended towards the end of August, Van Niekerk has not competed in the circuit which has proved to mean he shut down his season
after the competition.

He will now miss the chance to win his first Diamond League trophy.