New York withdraws from international track meet circuit

New York has pulled out of the Diamond League — track and field’s marquee competition series — leaving only one scheduled stop in the U.S. this season.

The IAAF-run circuit released its 2016 schedule Thursday, announcing it will expand into Africa for the first time with a May 22 meet in Rabat, Morocco.

“We are pleased to be able to take our premier athletics series into a new continental area,” IAAF President Sebastian Coe said. “The IAAF Diamond League offers the best athletics entertainment to the world outside of the IAAF World Championships and the Olympic Games.”

While such familiar locations as Rome, London and Paris remain on the 14-meet schedule, officials in New York said they will switch gears by staging a street event.

“We believe that changing our focus to a street meet is one way to make the event attractive to a younger audience,” said Mark Wetmore, the meet’s director.

Eugene, Ore., is now the only American stop on the tour, which begins in early May and continues through the summer.