At 23 years of age, Ethan Katzberg already has a hat-trick of global honours to his name.
And after a successful defence of his world title with a North American and championship record throw of 84.70m &ndash; the farthest by anyone in 20 years &ndash; the Canadian hammer star has set his sights on more glory in 2026.
By virtue of winning Olympic gold in Paris last year, Katzberg had already qualified for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, the scene of the first of his international title wins in 2023.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/64e0aeb6e2541504835b189c.jpg" alt="Ethan Katzberg in hammer qualifying at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23" />
<div>
Ethan Katzberg at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
</div>
And having been part of a contest at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 in which four men threw beyond 82 metres, as Katzberg took gold ahead of Germany&rsquo;s Merlin Hummel and Hungary&rsquo;s Bence Halasz, the Canadian believes they will raise the bar further yet.
&ldquo;I think having it (the inaugural Ultimate Championship) in Budapest in Hungary, the fans are absolutely incredible,&rdquo; said Katzberg of the new event, which will be held in Budapest from 11-13 September 2026. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll be cheering Bence on. After the World Championships in 2023, getting back there for a major is really exciting. I&rsquo;m really looking forward to it.&nbsp;
&ldquo;To have hammer in that field is something that&rsquo;s really special and I think that it&rsquo;s going to be a major event. All those guys that were throwing far today, they&rsquo;re going to be throwing far then. They&rsquo;re going to throw that far if not farther, so it&rsquo;s definitely going to be motivating for the whole field.&rdquo;
Katzberg has not even been in the sport for 10 years, only taking it up aged 14 when he saw his father coaching his discipline and thought it looked like fun.&nbsp;
An accomplished athlete in his youth, basketball was his main passion, but Katzberg was also a cross-country runner and played football and volleyball.
Initially, hammer throwing was a family affair as Katzberg trained with his sibling Jessica and father Bernie, but he has since gone on to become the benchmark for the sport globally.
Having wrapped up a second world title in Tokyo, after impressing in qualification with a 81.85m throw,&nbsp;Katzberg&nbsp;admitted he was further motivated by the performances of his rivals.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0KEufjn_CfU?si=GORtkkGh0i_eQC58" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&ldquo;Coming off the season that everybody&rsquo;s had, I knew it was going to be a very strong field,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think four people were going to throw over 82. To have that level of competition at major finals, that&rsquo;s what I want and that&rsquo;s what motivates me.
&ldquo;To feel like I&rsquo;m on top of that battle, that&rsquo;s really incredible. This is something that will probably be historic in the hammer throwing realm. I will continue to push myself and push the limits of what I can do.&rdquo;
Canada has both world champions in the hammer, with Camryn Rogers also having won the past three global titles in the women&rsquo;s event, and Katzberg readily admits that her latest victory in Tokyo had put the pressure on him to perform.
He did just that, with a new career best helping him edge ever closer to the world record of 86.74m set by Yuriy Sedykh all the way back in 1986.&nbsp;
But before targeting further records, first Katzberg planned to focus on celebration. After winning gold in Tokyo, he said his aim was to buy Pokemon cards as well as some green tea and matcha.&nbsp;
Matt Majendie for World Athletics
&nbsp;

World Athletics Ultimate Championships

After a successful defence of his world title in Tokyo, the Canadian hammer star has set his sights on more glory in 2026

After three global golds, Katzberg hammers path to Ultimate honour

Some of the biggest names in the sport came together on Thursday (11) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to mark the one-year countdown to the first-ever World Athletics Ultimate Championship, a bold new global competition set to take place in Budapest from 11-13 September 2026.
Usain Bolt, who earlier this week was announced as the Ultimate Legend for the new season-finale global championship, graced the red carpet alongside Olympic champions Mondo Duplantis and Thea LaFond at the star-studded party hosted by World Athletics.
Alongside World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, leading figures from across the sports, media and political world attended the event, including internet entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, founder of Reddit and Athlos; Hungarian Ambassador to Japan, Her Excellency Anna Aulner-Balint; Hungarian State Secretary for Sports Adam Schmidt; and Hungary's International Olympic Committee member and co-chair of the Ultimate Championship LOC Balazs Furjes.
&ldquo;I worked hard to be an ultimate legend for years, so I'm really excited to be a part of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship," said Bolt. "The first thing I thought when I heard about this event was how wonderful it would have been to compete at this championship had it been around when I was an athlete. It moves the sport in the right direction, so I'm hoping to help shine a light on it in my role as Ultimate Legend."
Duplantis, who last month was revealed as the Ultimate Star for the event, said: &ldquo;If I win at the Ultimate Championship, I&rsquo;ll have a title that Usain (Bolt) won&rsquo;t have, which is very rare and not many athletes can do, so I&rsquo;m super excited."
LaFond, who, like Duplantis, will be among the favourites for gold at the upcoming World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, said: &ldquo;I love a good one-and-done deal, I really do. I think it&rsquo;s fun, I think it puts a little bit more pressure on that one event and I think it&rsquo;s exciting for the crowd, for sure. I think one of the best things that has come from the Ultimate is the pay structure."
President Coe said: "Make no mistake: The Ultimate is the next major global flagship outdoor track and field championship in the calendar after Tokyo. The Ultimate Championship will be where the world&rsquo;s top-ranked track and field athletes compete head-to-head to decide who is truly the best on the planet. I, for one, am very excited."
Schmidt is also looking forward to welcoming the world's best athletes in Budapest. "The motto of this day is: the best," he said. "After the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Sebastian Coe said that the Budapest World Championships had been the best ever. More than one billion TV viewers, more than 400,000 fans in our state-of-the-art athletics stadium &ndash; these numbers speak for themselves. Exactly one year from today, the best of the best athletes will compete in Budapest. I do hope that we can recreate the magic again at the very first edition of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship."
<h3>A new era for athletics</h3>
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship will ensure every season culminates with a global championship of real meaning. Only the top-ranked athletes on the planet will earn the right to compete, representing their countries on the biggest stage for a share of the record US$10million prize pot &ndash; the largest in track and field history.
This compact and thrilling three-day competition will feature 28 disciplines in a fast-paced, made-for-TV format. With no country quotas or selection panels, performance alone secures a place, guaranteeing the ultimate head-to-head battles to decide who truly is the best in the world.
<h3>Designed for fans, media, and the future</h3>
As the natural complement to the World Championships, the World Athletics Ultimate Championship is built to deliver a global moment every year, keeping athletics firmly in the spotlight. It has been designed to maximise broadcast reach, ensuring fans worldwide are captivated by gripping, made-for-TV storytelling.
At its heart, the event will elevate the stories of athletes, giving them powerful new platforms to grow their profiles and connect with audiences. At the same time, it will act as an incubator for sustainable innovation in athletics while forging strong new commercial partnerships, building on the success of the World Championships Budapest 23.
In 12 months&rsquo; time, the eyes of the sporting world will return to the Hungarian capital, where the very best athletes on the planet will chase one goal: to be crowned the Ultimate champion.
For more information, visit <a href="%20https:/ultimateathleticschampionship.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ultimateathleticschampionship.com</a>

Some of the biggest names in the sport came together to mark the one-year countdown to the first-ever World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Bolt and Duplantis star at World Athletics Ultimate Championship one-year countdown party

Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt has been announced as the &lsquo;Ultimate Legend&rsquo;, as excitement continues to build ahead of the first edition of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.&nbsp;
The Ultimate Championship &ndash; to be held for the first time from 11-13 September 2026 &ndash; will help to take the sport to another level, as Bolt did in the sprints during an incredible career that saw him break multiple world records, claim 19 senior global titles and provide countless iconic moments on the track.&nbsp;
In his role as the one and only Ultimate Legend, Bolt will collaborate with World Athletics in the promotion of the new global season-ending championship that will see the world&rsquo;s top-ranked track and field athletes compete head-to-head to decide who is truly the best on the planet.&nbsp;
Bolt&rsquo;s unveiling as the Ultimate Legend follows the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-ultimate-championship/2026/news/press-releases/mondo-duplantis-ultimate-championship-star" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement last month of world pole vault record-holder Mondo Duplantis as the inaugural Ultimate Star</a>.&nbsp;
It marks the first time that Bolt has stepped into such an athletics role, as he uses his passion for and status within the sport to promote the new event to the world.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The idea behind the World Athletics Ultimate Championship is brilliant: the absolute best of the best facing off against each other &ndash; all the major global stars, big money, even bigger personalities, no excuses &ndash; to see who gets bragging rights as the Ultimate Champion. Let&rsquo;s just say I would have loved to be competing in this box-office championship,&rdquo; said Bolt.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m honoured to take on the role of Ultimate Legend to help spread the word, as athletics remains a huge part of my life. I saw our sport go through many changes during my time on the track and it&rsquo;s important that athletics continues to innovate. This new global championship will help to showcase and grow track and field and its incredible stars.&rdquo;&nbsp;
World champions and Olympic champions will clash with Wanda Diamond League winners and the year&rsquo;s best performing athletes during three intense sessions of action at the National Athletics Centre.&nbsp;
Twenty-six athletes have already automatically qualified as reigning individual Olympic champions and more will soon join the list, as winners at the upcoming World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 &ndash; which will be attended by Bolt &ndash; will also secure automatic qualification.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The title of Ultimate Legend is fitting for one of the true icons of our sport,&rdquo; said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Usain transcends athletics. He continues to elevate the profile of the sport and inspire athletes around the globe, proving what is possible &ndash; on and off the field of play. As we look forward &ndash; developing new ways to showcase the sport and discovering new stars &ndash; it is important to also look back and recognise the trailblazers who have paved the way and captured the imaginations of generations of athletics fans.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hungary&rsquo;s Secretary of State for Sports Dr. &Aacute;d&aacute;m Schmidt said: &ldquo;Similar to other major international sporting events in Hungary, one of our main goals with hosting the Ultimate Championship is to ensure that by watching the fantastic competitions of the very best athletes live, as many of our compatriots as possible can gain experiences that will inspire them to commit to regular sports themselves.
&ldquo;It is a great pleasure and honour for us that the best of the best will visit us, not only on the track, but also beyond it. Usain Bolt is a special figure of the athletics family who can inspire young people all over the world. I am confident that with his help, the Ultimate Championship will be just as successful and popular as the 2023 World Championships in Budapest were.&rdquo;
Bolt will be promoting the Ultimate Championship &ndash; with the one-year-to-go milestone for the inaugural event on Thursday 11 September &ndash; at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. As a guest of World Athletics, Bolt is set to attend select evening sessions at the Japan National Stadium and make a special appearance during the championships being held from 13-21 September.&nbsp;
The Ultimate Championship has been created to ensure that every athletics season culminates with a major global championship with real meaning for athletes, fans, media and broadcasters.  &nbsp;
It is the next major global flagship outdoor track and field championship in the calendar after the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.&nbsp;
World Athletics&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Bolt will collaborate with World Athletics in the promotion of the new global season-ending championship

Bolt revealed as Ultimate Legend

World Athletics 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>
<div style="padding: 56.25% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" title="WAUC_Brandfilm_Master_4k_FINAL" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1109584189?autoplay=1&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479&amp;loop=1" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

<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/united-states/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-14624749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE

<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

Qualified by winning in Paris

Olympic champions

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

<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/kenya/lilian-odira-14758184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">800M &bull; KEN</a>

LILIAN ODIRA

<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/switzerland/ditaji-kambundji-14739461" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M HURDLES &bull; SUI</a>

DITAJI KAMBUNDJI

<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

Qualified by winning in Tokyo

World champions

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

World Athletics Ultimate Championship – debuting 11-13 September 2026 in Budapest – register now for info

World Athletics Ultimate Championship 2026

CLosestFinishes

Relive the closest finishes in Tokyo  | World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

Special Celebrations | World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

last gasp

Last Gasp Field Feats | World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

Botswana win the men's 4x400m relay in Tokyo

Tebogo and Botswana defy massive rainstorm to make relay history | Tokyo Top Performance Day 9

Day 9 HL

Day 9 Highlights | World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

Beatrice Chebet celebrates winning 5000m gold in Tokyo

Chebet beats best friend Kipyegon to complete distance double  | Tokyo Top Performance Day 8

Ultimate Championship session schedule revealed with 300 days to go

Three action-packed sessions stacked with finals – from start to finish

Ultimate Championship to redefine athletics with record prize fund and fan-first format

Athletics is getting a shake-up.

Bolt, Duplantis and a new era: athletics looks to its Ultimate future

When Usain Bolt walked on to the stage at Tokyo’s Ultimate Media Party, the crowd erupted as if reliving the thunderclaps of Beijing and London

‘Road to the Ultimate’ launches

Road to the Ultimate online tool is designed to help athletes, media and fans track the athlete journey to next year's championship

Ticket sales for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship start soon

Official ticket sales begin on 10 November, but fans who sign up on the event’s official international website will gain exclusive early access