In its biggest restructure since the series began in 2010, this year’s IAAF Diamond League will adopt a championship-style model whereby athletes earn points at the first 12 meetings to qualify for the two finals in Zurich on August 24 and Brussels on September 1.

In previous seasons, athletes accumulated points throughout the season with the overall winner of each of the 32 events being the athlete with the most points, irrespective of whether they won the final.

This year, the winners of each discipline in the finals will be crowned as IAAF Diamond League champions, earning a $50,000 (£38,700/€45,700) bonus and the Diamond Trophy.

The scoring system has also changed for 2017.

Previously only the top six finishers in each event earned points, but now the top eight will be rewarded.

Eight points will go to the winner, seven to second place and so on, with one going to the athlete in eighth place.

Each discipline will be staged four or six times before the finals.

At the end of the 12 qualification meetings, the top seven, eight or 12 athletes depending on the discipline will be invited to compete in the final.

In case of a tie, the best legal performance of the qualification phase wins.

At each of the qualification meetings, all disciplines have the same prize money with $10,000 (£7,700/€9,100) going to the winners.

“Since the Diamond League was created in March 2009, it has become the sport’s biggest shop window other than the World Championships and Olympics,” said IAAF chief executive Gers in a press event held in a shopping centre in the city.

"We have a great sport, the best of sports, and incredibly talented athletes.

“What we want to do now is to work with even more partners to nurture the best in our sport.

"We need to innovate.

“And this year the Diamond League has been restructured so that is is now a race to the Finals, where male and female athletes can earn their Diamond Trophies.

“With young children at home, I know only too well that the young are accessing the world in a very different way to their parents, and we at the IAAF will be working very hard to provide new digital platforms to make our sport more widely popular.

“I see no reason why this remodelled era of our sport should not usher in a new era of popularity for the Diamond League.”

Tomorrow night’s meeting has 16 reigning Olympic or world champions competing.

In will also feature top line rivalries including a meeting of the women’s Olympic and world 200m champions Elaine Thompson of Jamaica and The Netherlands' Dafne Schippers.

Both were present at the press event today along with American two-time Olympic gold medallist triple jumper Christian Taylor and his team-mate Michelle Carter, the Rio 2016 women's shot put champion, 

They were also joined by Qatari high jump athlete and two-time Olympic medallist Mutaz Barshim and Germany's Thomas Rohler, the reigning Olympic men's javelin champion.

Looking ahead to the action, Schippers said she is excited to see the season start again.

"I love the atmosphere here," the Dutch star said.

"The weather’s perfect for quick running and I feel good so I just can’t wait to get stuck in."

The men’s 100m will feature the controversial US sprinter Justin Gatlin and Canada’s 22-year-old rising star Andre De Grasse, who won a bronze in the race at Rio 2016 along with a silver in the 200m.

Also in the 100m hunt will be 23-year-old South African Akani Simbine, who ran 9.92sec last month, the second fastest time of the year so far.

All three female 800m medallists from Rio - South Africa's Caster Semenya, Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba and Kenya's Margaret Wambui – will also race in Doha.

They will be joined by Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba, the 1,500m world record holder who has chosen an extremely tough field in which to make her 800m debut.