Major blow looms for Kenyan athletes as Paris Diamond League faces cancellation

Kenyan stars: Ferdinand Omanyala and Edmund Serem could miss the chance to compete at the Paris Diamond League after French authorities called for the cancellation of Sunday’s meeting due to an unprecedented heatwave sweeping across the country.

The Paris Diamond League, one of the flagship events on the Wanda Diamond League calendar, is scheduled for Sunday, 28 June, but its fate now hangs in the balance after the Paris police prefecture requested that organisers call off the competition.

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The prefecture announced on Friday, 26 June that it had asked organisers to cancel several major public events, including the Diamond League meeting, a music festival and the city’s annual Pride march, citing mounting pressure on emergency services as France grapples with record-breaking temperatures.

Authorities warned that if organisers fail to voluntarily cancel the events, they will enforce the decision.

The development casts uncertainty over the participation of some of the world’s biggest athletics stars, including Kenya’s sprint king Omanyala and steeplechase sensation Serem, alongside Olympic champions Noah Lyles and Armand “Mondo” Duplantis.

However, organisers have yet to receive an official cancellation order.

The French Athletics Federation, which stages the Paris meeting, told The Associated Press that it had not been formally notified of the prefecture’s decision.

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Just a day earlier, organisers had expressed confidence that the competition would proceed, albeit under revised conditions aimed at safeguarding everyone involved.

“The safety of athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials and spectators remains our absolute priority,” organisers said in a statement.

“Only elite athletes will be permitted to compete at the Paris Meeting. This adaptation ensures that the event can proceed while maintaining the highest possible standards of safety,” the statement continued.

France has been experiencing one of the most severe heatwaves in its history since June 21, with soaring temperatures placing immense strain on healthcare and emergency services.

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According to Meteo France, the average temperature recorded across 30 weather stations reached 30 degrees Celsius for a second consecutive day on Thursday, equalling the highest nationwide average ever recorded.

The extreme conditions have prompted authorities to place more than three-quarters of the country under a red weather alert for the first time in France’s history.