Superheroes in Budapest for nine days

 

Tickets for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 go on sale on 12 December. It’s time to take a look at what exciting stories the schedule of next year’s biggest sporting event offers us in less than 300 days. 

 

The opening ceremony on Friday, 18 August will be followed by the first events in the Hungarian capital the next morning. The action starts with a 20-kilometre racewalk in the city centre on Saturday and Sunday morning, the 35-kilometre racewalk will be on Thursday. 

 

The National Athletics Centre will also be worth a visit on 19 and 20 August. In the men's shot put, the US’s world record holder Ryan Crouser, two-time world champion Joe Kovacs, who has Hungarian roots, and former world champion Tom Walsh from New Zealand could decide who would be the best. In the men’s hammer throw, Pawel Fajdek and Wojciech Nowicki's qualification should secure the attention of Polish fans. 

 

On 20 August the Hungarians celebrate the founding of the state. To mark the occasion there will be a magnificent fireworks display over the Danube from 9pm. However, in sthe stadium the fireworks already begin in the afternoon: after the women's 10 000m on Saturday, the men's best long-distance runners will be be on the track on Sunday. World record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda could be one step closer to being a legend like Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele and Mo Farah. To do so, he would have to beat Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who has voiced his ambition to take on a 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m treble, should he feel the schedule allows it. 

 

Meanwhile, in the 100m, Marcell Jacobs would want to keep the world title in Europe, which has been unprecedented since 1993. The Italian Olympic champion could have strong US opponents on Sunday evening. Also watch out for Botswana’s world U20 record-holder Letsile Tebogo, who could make a breakthrough to become one of the world’s top sprinters in Budapest. 

 

In the long jump, Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece would have the chance to complete his gold medal collection, as he looks to add a world title to his Olympic and European gold medals, as well as his world indoor and European indoor crowns. 

 

On Monday, 21 August, there will only be evening session as well as on Tuesday, Thursday and on the closing day, Sunday. However, on Thursday and Sunday we could enjoy the road races: the 35km race walk and the men’s marathon will be organized in the stunning downtown of Budapest.

 

The Monday programme will be packed with top athletes. One of athletics’ most impressive personalities, Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas would have the chance to break her own world record in front of another global crowd. Grant Holloway, one of the Hungarian fans' favourite foreign athletes, should be in the running for gold in the 110m hurdles. In the discus throw the Slovenian fans could have a big night cheering Kristjan Ceh, who resembles the famous superhero, Superman. Jamaica’s golden generation of sprinters could also be looking for a big night. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson could clash in the women's 100m final.

 

Women’s pole vault begins which means Katie Nageotte and Sandi Morris could be in action in the qualifying round. The new queen of athletics, Sydney McLaughlin, European record holder Femke Bol and world men's record holder Karsten Warholm could be featured in the 400m hurdles.

 

Tuesday evening session could see Olympic champions, Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Barshim in the men’s high jump final, multiple global gold medallist Sandra Perkovic and Olympic champion Valarie Allman in the women’s discus throw. In the women’s 1500 m Faith Kipyegon, in the men’s 3000m steeplechase Soufiane El Bakkali could go for gold.

 

On Wednesday morning we could see 18-year-old Erriyon Knighton, the world U20 record-holder who has been declared the new Usain Bolt and the third-fastest of all time, Noah Lyles. Swedish pole vault star Mondo Duplantis could also be making his first appearance but jump just once in the qualifying round as he looks to advance without trouble. 

 

With Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Karsten Warholm potentially featuring in the 1500m and 400m hurdles finals, respectively, it could be all about the Norwegian superstars on Wednesday evening. There will be a number of athletes looking to stop them, however, and the two thrilling finals could also star defending world champions Jake Wightman and Alison dos Santos. Finland's Wilma Murto would also bring joy to the Scandinavians in the women's pole vault final.

 

On Thursday Sydney McLaughlin, could run against her own world 400m hurdles record but Femke Bol and Dalilah Muhammad could be among those trying to challenge for the title. In the women's 100m hurdles final, world champion and world record-holder Tobi Amusan and Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn could be set for an unforgettable duel. In the women's long jump final, Ivana Vuleta, Malaika Mihambo, Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk and Yulimar Rojas could deliver a breath-taking show. 

 

The decathlon begins on Friday and it will bring a clash of the gladiators of athletics. Olympic champion Damian Warner, world record-holder Kevin Mayer and the young Simon Ehammer could battle for gold. There’s set to be half-leap heaven on day seven as both 200m finals take place and such is the standard, world records could even be on the cards. Shericka Jackson and Noah Lyles came very close at the last World Championships. Now, with a good wind, another year of training, we could see miracles. 

 

On Saturday the decathletes are getting closer to the end, the second half of their competition gets under way. The career of the most successful athlete of the last decade of Hungarian athletics, world indoor champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anita Márton could also end on this day, possibly in the final of the women’s shot put. 

 

One of the highlights of the World Championships would be the men’s pole vault. Mondo Duplantis would be eyeing more history with another world record attempt but first he would have to secure the win against a strong field that could include USA’s world and Olympic silver medallist Chris Nilsen. 

 

The final of the women’s 5000m will determine whether there would be another double among the long-distance runners. A huge tactical battle could be expected between Letesenbet Gidey and Sifan Hassan. 

 

The 4x100m finals are always full of thrills and spills. Provided all has gone to plan in the qualification round, the Jamaican women’s 4x100m team, which could feature the trio of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson, will hope to win the battle but will likely be up against another strong US quartet. 

 

The men’s 4x100m final could bring a much more open contest, if Marcell Jacobs arrives in Budapest healthy, then Italy will hope to beat the USA at the World Championships after their Olympic triumph. Canada would be relying on Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse to help them defend their title. 

 

Get ready for a finals-filled last session on Sunday. Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the high jump superstar from Ukraine achieved great success in 2022, including winning the European Championships and the World Indoor Championships. To achieve victory in Budapest, she would need to get past Eleanor Patterson, who defeated her at the last World Championships. 

 

The javelin can be quite an unpredictable event. If he makes a good comeback after his injury, Johannes Vetter will be hard to beat. But Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who made history for India with his victory in Tokyo, would try. Grenada’s Anderson Peters will be going for an unprecedented third consecutive world javelin title. In the men’s 5000m, two world stars, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Joshua Cheptegei, could give us an unforgettable race. 

 

In the women's 800m, Athing Mu, Keely Hodgkinson and Mary Moraa will hope to make the final interesting for three different continents. The final of the women's 3000m steeplechase and the 4x400m relays could be the icing on the cake. 

 

Be part of the magic at the Budapest 23, you won’t want to miss it! Mark your calendar now for 12 December, when tickets go on sale for the biggest Hungarian sporting event of all time!