First edition of World Athletics Ultimate Championship will showcase global gold medallists while supporting their off-track passions 
Global sprint superstars Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo have been announced as Ultimate Stars for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, confirming they will be competing at the inaugural edition of the new global championship with 150 days to go until the event kicks off.
Bragging rights are on the line, and not just with the goal of becoming Ultimate Champions through their individual performances. At the event, which takes place in Budapest from 11-13 September, Jefferson-Wooden and Tebogo will serve as team captains for the Kids&rsquo; Athletics Ultimate Challenge.
&ldquo;Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo are two of our sport&rsquo;s biggest stars and we are excited they are committed to the Ultimate Championship,&rdquo; said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. &ldquo;We are also proud to work with them to connect the event to their individual passions outside of competition. The Ultimate is all about elevating the profile of our sport and its heroes, both on the track and off, and that includes creating opportunities for athletes to showcase all aspects of their personalities and interests.&rdquo;
While the Ultimate Championship is centred on the singularity of the best of the best, the path to becoming a global champion is one both athletes recognise as needing the support of a broader team, a love of sport, and a deep well of inspiration. In this way, the two will act as team leaders and mentors during the Kids&rsquo; Athletics Ultimate Challenge, where youth from across Budapest will be invited to participate in an on-site activation at the Zsivotzky Gyula National Athletics Centre the day before competition begins.
Jefferson-Wooden earned three gold medals at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, taking the top podium spot in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m. The US athlete was also the silver medallist in the 100m at the 2024 Olympic Games.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very excited to compete for the Ultimate Championship,&rdquo; said Jefferson-Wooden. &ldquo;Having the opportunity to bring together my passions for track and field and community means everything to me. I&rsquo;ve always said I&rsquo;m a &lsquo;village kid,&rsquo; and I take so much pride in the people who have supported me every step of the way. This is the perfect intersection of track, community, and pouring into the next generation &ndash; and that brings me so much joy.&rdquo;
Botswana&rsquo;s Tebogo was the gold medallist in the 200m at the Olympic Games in 2024. That was the same year he was named World Athlete of the Year. He has been a Kids&rsquo; Athletics ambassador since early 2025.
"I have had such a good experience as a Kids&rsquo; Athletics ambassador and I couldn&rsquo;t be more excited to be a part of the Kids&rsquo; Athletics Ultimate Challenge as part of the Ultimate Championship,&rdquo; said Tebogo. &ldquo;Being the best in the world doesn&rsquo;t just mean winning gold medals. There is a responsibility to give back, and to show young people the power that sport can have in all our lives.&rdquo;
Just last week, both athletes were <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-relays/gaborone26/news/press-releases/jefferson-wooden-tebogo-kids-athletics-ambassadors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named as Kids&rsquo; Athletics ambassadors for 2026</a>. They will be on hand at next month&rsquo;s Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26, where they will lead an activation with local children. Kids&rsquo; Athletics is an initiative that uses the power of athletics to inspire children around the world to be more active.
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is set to transform the athletics calendar and settle the debate over which athlete is the best of the best every two years &ndash; pitting world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners, and this year&rsquo;s top-ranked athletes against each other to crown the champion of champions.
Learn more about the Ultimate Championship <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-ultimate-championship/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, and about Kids&rsquo; Athletics by exploring the  <a href="https://worldathletics.org/kids-athletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kids&rsquo; Athletics website</a>.&nbsp;

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

First edition of World Athletics Ultimate Championship will showcase global gold medallists while supporting their off-track passions

Jefferson-Wooden and Tebogo named Ultimate Stars and team captains for Ultimate Challenge

There&rsquo;s 150 days to go until the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, when the world&rsquo;s best athletes will converge on the Hungarian capital to be crowned inaugural champions.
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To mark the milestone, we look at the numbers that will define the first-ever hosting of the athletics showpiece&hellip; 
<h2>1</h2>
Each final will crown one Ultimate Champion &ndash; the best of the best. And while we&rsquo;re on the No.1, there&rsquo;s one <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-ultimate-championship/2026/news/press-releases/usain-bolt-ultimate-legend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ultimate Legend in Usain Bolt</a>, who was unveiled at the official launch on the eve of last year&rsquo;s World Championships in Tokyo. 
<h2>2</h2>
The newest event on the global sporting calendar will take place every two years, meaning the next one is scheduled for 2028 in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Olympics. 
<h2>3</h2>
In all, there will be three days of competition from 11-13 September and each of those days will involve a horizontal jump, a throwing event and track finals.&nbsp;As well as crowing new champions in the sport,&nbsp;three fans will also battle in Budapest as the&nbsp;<a href="https://betheultimatefan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Ultimate Fan Challenge</a>&nbsp;reaches its climax.&nbsp; 
<h2>8</h2>
The field events on the schedule will boast eight competitors in each line-up. For the men, that&rsquo;s the high jump, pole vault, long jump, hammer and javelin. For the women, the only field change is the triple jump instead of the hammer throw. Those field events will all be straight finals. 
<h2>11 September</h2>
The date when the event kicks off. It runs through to 13 September. 
<h2>26</h2>
That&rsquo;s the number of Olympic champions who have already qualified for the event. In addition to that, there are 18 world champions from Tokyo who have booked their flights to Hungary. To that will be added the relevant 25 Diamond League winners in the individual events as well as the remaining top ranked athletes in 2026.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66b12b4d3b4bba6b2abdb529.jpg" alt="Mondo Duplantis at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games" />
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Mondo Duplantis in the pole vault at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (&copy; Dan Vernon)
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<h2>28</h2>
There are 28 events on the schedule. On the track, individually it&rsquo;s the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and both hurdles, while there&rsquo;s also the mixed relays for both the 4x100m and 4x400m. In most individual track events, there&rsquo;s semifinals and the top four from each make it through to the final. The 1500m, 5000m and relay races will be straight finals. 
<h2>14,000</h2>
The capacity of the Zsivotzky Gyula National Athletics Centre in Budapest for the Ultimate Championship. The venue also hosted the World Athletics Championships in 2023. 
<h2>150,000</h2>
In US dollars, that&rsquo;s the top prize for each Ultimate Champion in the individual events, while the relay team winners share out a pot of $80,000. Back to the individual events, the second-place finisher will pocket $75,000 while the final athlete on the podium will earn $40,000. The prize pot &ndash; the richest in the sport &ndash; totals a whopping $10million in all.

There’s 150 days to go until the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, when the world’s best athletes will converge on the Hungarian capital to be crowned inaugural champions.

World Athletics Ultimate Championship in numbers

Wizz Air, Central and Eastern Europe&rsquo;s leading airline, has been announced as the Official Airline Partner for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, bringing its reach and momentum to one of the most exciting new events in global sport.&nbsp;
Taking place from 11-13 September in Budapest, the groundbreaking championship will see Wizz Air play a central role in powering transportation logistics &ndash; helping the world&rsquo;s best athletes arrive ready to compete at the highest level.&nbsp;
Adding to the excitement, every ultimate champion will receive travel vouchers, opening the door to destinations across the airline&rsquo;s extensive network. The partnership was officially signed at Wizz Air&rsquo;s headquarters in central Budapest.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re delighted to be announcing Wizz Air as the official airline for the first-ever World Athletics Ultimate Championship,&rdquo; said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. &ldquo;This event will put the best athletes in the world front and centre. We&rsquo;re pleased that Hungary&rsquo;s largest airline will be playing a significant role in the success of the Ultimate as it comes to Budapest.&rdquo;
Bal&aacute;zs F&uuml;rjes, the co-chair of the organising committee emphasised: &ldquo;Budapest is a global sport capital. The passionate, sport-loving Hungarian fans have witnessed 30 major international competitions of 25 summer Olympic sports in the last seven years, and we are delighted to host the pioneering Ultimate Championship, welcoming the best of the best athletes in the world. We proudly share this historic moment with Wizz Air, Central and Eastern Europe&rsquo;s No.1 airline.&rdquo;
With a fleet of more than 260 aircraft and a network spanning over 1,000 routes to nearly 200 airports, Wizz Air connects tens of millions of passengers across Europe and beyond. Since its first flight in 2004, the airline has carried more than 500 million passengers, continuing its mission to make travel more accessible through safe, efficient and reliable service.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We are incredibly proud to partner with the World Athletics Ultimate Championship and the local organising committee as the official airline of this landmark event,&rdquo; said Silvia Mosquera, Commercial Officer at Wizz Air. &ldquo;As an airline committed to connecting people, we&rsquo;re excited to help bring the world&rsquo;s best athletes to our home city of Budapest. This partnership reflects our dedication to excellence, connectivity, positivity and inspiring energy &ndash; values shared by both Wizz Air and this world‑class competition, especially in how we reach and energize global audiences. Let&rsquo;s WIZZ!&rdquo;
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is set to transform the athletics calendar and define which athlete is the best of the very best every two years &ndash;&nbsp;pitting world champions, Olympic champions, the Diamond League winners and this year&rsquo;s best performing athletes against each other to crown the champion of champions.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&bull; Global championship event: Launching in 2026, the championship will take place every two years and serve as a grand conclusion to the track and field season.&nbsp;
&bull; Compact format: A three-day event, with each evening session packed with semi-finals and finals for track disciplines, and straight finals for field disciplines.&nbsp;
&bull; Elite athlete participation: Featuring 8-16 of the world's top-ranked athletes per discipline, with selections based primarily on world rankings. Approaching 400 athletes from about 70 countries will compete, representing the pinnacle of global athletic talent.&nbsp;

Wizz Air has been announced as the Official Airline Partner for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Wizz Air jets in as Official Airline Partner for Ultimate Championship 

Olympic champions, world champions, Diamond League winners battle to be crowned the Ultimate Champion

11-13 SEPTEMBER 2026

SPARKS WILL FLY

<h2 style="text-align: center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">FOLLOW THE STAR JOURNEY TO BUDAPEST</h2>
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<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/sweden/armand-duplantis-14679502" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLE VAULT &bull; SWE</a>

MONDO DUPLANTIS

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/tara-davis-woodhall-14596561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LONG JUMP &bull; USA</a>

TARA DAVIS-WOODHALL

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/grant-holloway-14516985" target="_blank" rel="noopener">110M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

GRANT HOLLOWAY

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ukraine/yaroslava-mahuchikh-14739628" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HIGH JUMP &bull; UKR</a>

YAROSLAVA MAHUCHIKH

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/norway/jakob-ingebrigtsen-14653717" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5000M &bull; NOR</a>

JAKOB INGEBRIGTSEN

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/masai-russell-14659011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

MASAI RUSSELL

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/canada/ethan-katzberg-14809348" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HAMMER THROW &bull; CAN</a>

ETHAN KATZBERG

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/saint-lucia/julien-alfred-14646562" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M &bull; LCA</a>

JULIEN ALFRED

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/greece/miltiadis-tentoglou-14669734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LONG JUMP &bull; GRE</a>

MILTIADIS TENTOGLOU

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/keely-hodgkinson-14642894" target="_blank" rel="noopener">800M &bull; GBR</a>

KEELY HODGKINSON

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/rai-benjamin-14574865" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

RAI BENJAMIN

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/nina-kennedy-14407592" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLE VAULT &bull; AUS</a>

NINA KENNEDY

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/noah-lyles-14536762" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M &bull; USA</a>

NOAH LYLES

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/faith-kipyegon-14413305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1500M &bull; KEN</a>

FAITH KIPYEGON

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/japan/haruka-kitaguchi-14649131" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAVELIN THROW &bull; JPN</a>

HARUKA KITAGUCHI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/commonwealth-of-dominica/thea-lafond-14416826" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRIPLE JUMP &bull; DMA</a>

THEA LAFOND

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/new-zealand/hamish-kerr-14633982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HIGH JUMP &bull; NZL</a>

HAMISH KERR

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/botswana/letsile-tebogo-14883897" target="_blank" rel="noopener">200M &bull; BOT</a>

LETSILE TEBOGO

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/dominican-republic/marileidy-paulino-14749613" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M &bull; DOM</a>

MARILEIDY PAULINO

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/cole-hocker-14905834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1500M &bull; USA</a>

COLE HOCKER

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/gabrielle-thomas-14733520" target="_blank" rel="noopener">200M &bull; USA</a>

GABRIELLE THOMAS

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/emmanuel-wanyonyi-14974928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">800M &bull; KEN</a>

EMMANUEL WANYONYI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/beatrice-chebet-14749924" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5000M &bull; KEN</a>

BEATRICE CHEBET

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/pakistan/arshad-nadeem-14698105" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAVELIN THROW &bull; PAK</a>

ARSHAD NADEEM

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/quincy-hall-14597236" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M &bull; USA</a>

QUINCY HALL

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-14624749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE

Qualified by winning in Paris

Olympic champions

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/lilian-odira-14758184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">800M &bull; KEN</a>

LILIAN ODIRA

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/italy/mattia-furlani-14905216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LONG JUMP &bull; ITA</a>

MATTIA FURLANI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/switzerland/ditaji-kambundji-14739461" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M HURDLES &bull; SUI</a>

DITAJI KAMBUNDJI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/noah-lyles-14536762" target="_blank" rel="noopener">200M &bull; USA</a>

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/botswana/busang-collen-kebinatshipi-14935809" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M &bull; BOT</a>

COLLEN KEBINATSHIPI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/nicola-olyslagers-14455361" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HIGH JUMP &bull; AUS</a>

NICOLA OLYSLAGERS

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/oblique-seville-14737998" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M &bull; JAM</a>

OBLIQUE SEVILLE

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/melissa-jefferson-wooden-14756997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M &amp; 200M &bull; USA</a>

MELISSA JEFFERSON-WOODEN

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/cole-hocker-14905834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5000M &bull; USA</a>

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/katie-moon-14373744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLE VAULT &bull; USA</a>

KATIE MOON

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/portugal/isaac-nader-14756630" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1500M &bull; POR</a>

ISAAC NADER

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/netherlands/femke-bol-14707010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M HURDLES &bull; NED</a>

FEMKE BOL

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/cordell-tinch-14719972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">110M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

CORDELL TINCH

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/cuba/leyanis-perez-hernandez-14828679" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRIPLE JUMP &bull; CUB</a>

LEYANIS PEREZ HERNANDEZ

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/trinidad-and-tobago/keshorn-walcott-14376122" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAVELIN THROW &bull; TTO</a>

KESHORN WALCOTT

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ecuador/juleisy-angulo-14718123" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAVELIN THROW &bull; ECU</a>

JULEISY ANGULO

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-14624749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M &bull; USA</a>

Qualified by winning in Tokyo

World champions

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

<center>Official Airline Partner</center>
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