Runners ran through the posters as the race was won by Norway’s Olympic champion and world record holder Karsten Warholm, unaffected by the actions of the three members of the A22 network as he was running in one of the outside lanes.

"It is permissible to protest, but this is not the way to do it," Warholm, who clocked 47.57 seconds, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

"It is disrespectful to those who are here to do a good job."

The persistent and sometimes torrential rain delayed the men’s pole vault, involving local hero Mondo Duplantis, the world and Olympic champion, by two hours, and the competition was completed in front of dedicated spectators 90 minutes after the main programme had finished.

Duplantis provided his home crowd with the victory they required before clearing 6.05 metres, but then had three failures at 6.23m, a centimetre above his own world record.

"I found some rhythm on the runway, despite the cold," said Duplantis.

"It was not the weather we wanted, of course, but I always want to jump well at every meeting, but especially here as this is the most important meet, outside of the World Championships, for me in the year.

"Mentally I felt I was there and in with a chance of the world record, which is why I wanted to go for it, as well as for the people that had stayed so long into the evening to see me.

"I wanted to get closer to it, but maybe the conditions and tiredness caught up with me in the end there.

“I was really fired up and felt I could conquer the world."

The rest of the programme had concluded almost 90 minutes earlier.

The men’s discus saw Slovenia’s world champion Kristjan Ceh win with a second-round effort of 69.83m, just 19 centimetres shy of his own meeting record.

Home favourite and Olympic champion Daniel Stahl only landed one valid throw, a second round 67.57m, but it was good enough for second place.

Sandra Perkovic made light of the rain to claim a record-extending 46th Diamond League victory with a second-round best of 64.49m.

"This victory means a lot for me, because it's my 70th Diamond League and 46th win and 67th on the podium," said the two-time Olympic champion.

"After 13 years I am still here winning Diamond Leagues."

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Poland’s European champion Pia Skrzyszowska appeared on the brink of defeating Nigeria’s world champion and record holder Tobi Amusan until clipping the eighth barrier.

Amusan went on to win in 12.52sec, Ireland’s Sarah Lavin was second in a lifetime best of 12.73, and Skrzyszowska hung on for third in 12.78.

Dina Asher-Smith suffered an upset defeat at the hands of British teammate Daryll Neita in the women’s 200m.

The 2019 world champion led out of the bend, but Neita stuck to her task and won in 22.50, 0.08 clear of Asher-Smith.

In the women’s long jump, Italy’s Larissa Iapichino earned her second Diamond League win of the season with 6.69m, with Germany’s Olympic and world champion Malaika Mihambo second on 6.66m.

After placing third in Doha and second in Rabat, Freweyni Hailu finally earned a Diamond League win this season in the women’s 1500m.

Hailu, who finished fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and last year’s World Athletics Championships, finished ahead of fellow Ethiopians Diribe Welteji and Hirut Meshesha.

They made it a clean sweep for the nation as Britain’s Olympic silver medallist Laura Muir dropped back to sixth in 4:03.83.