The Lausanne Diamond League was expected to be a cracker for a reason. With Noah Lyles’ season picking up pace, his reignited rivalry with Kishane Thompson kept fans on edge. Unfortunately, just ahead of the event, the news of Thompson pulling out came as a bummer. However, fans still had some mouth-watering clashes waiting as Lyles was set to go up against the likes of Akani Simbine, Oblique Seville, and more. But as the recent updates come in from Lausanne, things are looking extremely grim.

Ahead of the big event, the forecast stated that there was a 90% chance of rain. And the rain did come pouring in. Accompanied by strong winds, things went from bad to worse as the day progressed. Live visuals showed the track glistening with water. Meanwhile, the athletes would have to keep an eye on their speed while also maintaining their balance to prevent slipping and getting injured. 

With the rains coming in hard, a recently uploaded video on X mentions, “WHAT AN ABSOLUTE FARCE.” The clip portrayed water accumulation on the track. As the video rolled on, it could be seen that the ground staff were continuously trying their best to remove the excess water from parts of the track. However, one thing that caught fans’ eyes was the fact that the staff had no modern amenities to drain off the water. Guess what they used?

The staff used their bare hands and cones to get rid of the pool of water.

Surely, all of this combined has turned the event into an extremely chaotic one. Speaking about the situation, Swiss athlete Emma Van Camp looked extremely frustrated. Expressing discontent, Van Camp stated, “It was very hard to focus in this rain. These are the most horrible conditions I’ve ever had. I didn’t see the lines properly, so yeah, I was just focusing on the techniques and not pushing hard to get injured.”

Surely, all of this left a bitter taste with fans, especially given the experience in a $30 million event. And they immediately took to social media to express their disappointment. 

Fans stunned as Lausanne Diamond League staff battle flooded track with bare hands

As soon as the video became viral, track and field fans flocked to the comments section. The soaked track was visibly unsafe, and staff were forced to improvise by scooping water away. In response, one viewer stressed, “They’d need a water pump in fairness.” Such a remark highlighted how the lack of basic drainage equipment worsened delays, pointing out that a simple machine could have sped up the process and allowed athletes to compete under less hazardous conditions.

Amid the chaotic scenes, outrage fueled. A fan bluntly remarked, “It’s ridiculous.” Their words summed up the disbelief at an international Diamond League meet relying on such methods, especially when competitors were preparing for elite-level clashes in the men’s sprints.

The images of drenched ground crew members manually tackling the flooded track reflected a larger theme. One fan noted, “Track and field is really a blue collar all hands on deck type of a sport 🫠.” Such a frustration underscored how, unlike more commercialized sports with advanced infrastructure, athletics often relies on raw effort and minimal resources, even on its biggest stages.

Beyond inconvenience, the chaotic clean-up sparked criticism about professionalism. A sharp reaction read, “This is atrocious!!” That sentiment reflected the frustration of how such a high-profile competition could be so poorly managed, especially when weather forecasts had already warned of heavy rain. Yet measures seemed inadequate to handle the scenario.

What struck many was the sheer improvisation. As seen in the viral clip, staff bent down with bare hands and cones to push away water. A shocked viewer wrote, “the total WTF at Lausanne DL We’re at this point… One uses their hand and other a cone to clear the water from the springboard.” The statement encapsulated the surreal sight that left fans questioning the preparedness of organizers.

Ultimately, the viral images led to concerns about the sport’s reputation. As one fan summed up, “There must be a better way .. not a good look.” The observation pointed to how global audiences may view athletics when an elite Diamond League meet showcases rudimentary solutions, raising questions about how the sport presents itself on the international stage.

With a widespread discontent growing, it now remains to be seen what happens next.