Semifinals:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 18:26 Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 19:41
Contenders: Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) 🏅&nbsp;🌍 💎&nbsp; Djamel Sedjati (ALG) Marco Arop (CAN) Mohamed Attaoui (ESP) Brandon Miller (USA) Max Burgin (GBR) Mark English (IRL) Eliott Crestan (BEL) Navasky Anderson (JAM) Ben Pattison (GBR) Gabriel Tual (FRA) Handal Roban (VIN) Marino Bloudek (CRO) Donavan Brazier (USA) Francesco Pernici (ITA) Yanis Meziane (FRA)
World lead: 1:41.76 Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/middlelong/800-metres/outdoor/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/800m/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 1:40.91 David Rudisha (KEN) London, 9 Aug 2012 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/800-metres/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/951?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Emmanuel Wanyonyi is once again the athlete to beat in the 800m following a hugely impressive Zurich win</li>
<li>Marco Arop returns to the track on which he won his 2023 world title</li>
<li>Djamel Sedjati has also been breathing down Wanyonyi&rsquo;s neck during the course of the season</li>
</ul>
Can anyone stop Emmanuel Wanyonyi in Budapest?
The Hungarian capital was the scene of one of his rare defeats at the World Championships back in 2023 but, at that point, he was just 19 and relatively new to the international scene.
Since then he has dominated his discipline, winning the Olympic title before becoming a world champion, and continuing that form into this season.
He already has a world record to his name in 2026 &ndash; for the 1000m &ndash; but he and his coach Claudio Berardelli have made no secret of the fact that they are chasing David Rudisha&rsquo;s 14-year-old 800m world record.
Wanyonyi is less than a second away from his Kenyan compatriot&rsquo;s mark of 1:40.91 this year. The man with a PB of 1:41.11 from 2024 won in Zurich last month in 1:41.76 and backed that up with another win at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
But any suggestion the 800m in Budapest might be a bit like the solo time trial that Rudisha made the London Olympics appear all those years ago have been dispelled by his rivals&rsquo; performances.
Algeria&rsquo;s Djamel Sedjati was just a whisker behind Wanyonyi in their thrilling race in Zurich and less than a tenth of a second separates the fastest three in the world this year with Canada&rsquo;s Marco Arop also very much in contention. Arop claimed his world title ahead of Wanyonyi in Budapest in 2023 and has run 1:41.84 this year.
Belgium&rsquo;s Eliott Crestan and Spain&rsquo;s Mohamed Attaoui respectively claimed world indoor 800m silver and bronze in Poland earlier this year and will want to make their mark again.&nbsp;
US protagonists in the line-up include Brandon Miller and 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier, plus there is a double British challenge looming in the form of Max Burgin and Ben Pattison.
Then there is Mark English, the first man to win gold for Ireland at the European Championships recently in Birmingham, while France&rsquo;s Yanis Meziane stormed to a PB of 1:42.87 during the Diamond League Final to finish third and secure his place in Budapest.
Matt Majendie for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

A pre-competition look at the men's 800m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: men's 800m

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 19:34
Contenders: Thea LaFond (DMA) 🏅 Leyanis P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez (CUB) 🌍 Saly Sarr (SEN) 💎 Davisleydi Velazco (CUB) Liadagmis Povea (CUB) Dariya Derkach (ITA) Ackelia Smith (JAM) Gabriele Santos (BRA)
World lead: 15.25m Thea LaFond (DMA) Zagreb, 26 June <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/jumps/triple-jump/outdoor/women/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/triple-jump/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 15.74m Yulimar Rojas (VEN) Belgrade, 20 March 2022 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/jumps/triple-jump/all/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/5352?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Thea LaFond heads to Budapest as the world leader after soaring 15.25m in June</li>
<li>Saly Sarr looks to maintain momentum after Diamond League title win</li>
<li>World champion Leyanis P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez returns to the scene of her first global medal win</li>
</ul>
The Olympic champion, world champion and Diamond League champion all clash in the women&rsquo;s triple jump as Thea LaFond, Leyanis P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez and Saly Sarr look to take their 15-metre-plus form with them to the Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
LaFond achieved the best performance in the world for almost four years when she leapt 15.25m in Zagreb in June. The mark moved her to joint ninth on the world all-time list, adding 23 centimetres to the Dominican record LaFond set when winning her Olympic title in 2024.
&ldquo;It was probably one of the easiest jumps of my life,&rdquo; she said in Zagreb. &ldquo;15.25m &ndash; just saying it sounds insane.&rdquo;
Three other athletes &ndash; Davisleydi Velazco, Sarr and P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez &ndash; have also surpassed 15 metres this season. Cuba&rsquo;s Velazco joined the 15-metre club in Doha, winning a Diamond League clash against her compatriot P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez. Velazco&rsquo;s 15.13m was a world lead at the time and it secured her second consecutive Diamond League victory after her win in Oslo.
That 15-metre club grew again in Silesia as Senegal&rsquo;s world indoor triple jump bronze medallist Sarr soared a national record of 15.08m and backed it up with a 15.00m leap to claim her first Diamond League win, turning the tables on P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez, Cuba&rsquo;s world champion who won in Monaco with a PB of 15.06m.
Sarr carried her consistency through to the end of the Diamond League season. After finishing in the top three in each of the series meetings in Oslo, Doha, Monaco and Silesia, she became the Diamond League champion at the final in Brussels, threatening 15 metres again with 14.96m to finish ahead of P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez and Velazco.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to be part of an exceptional generation of triple jumpers,&rdquo; Sarr said after her win in Brussels. &ldquo;Now I&rsquo;m looking forward to Budapest, where I also would like to take the win.&rdquo;
It was P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez who claimed the world indoor title in March and she has also finished in the top three in all her Diamond League contests this year. She will want to challenge again when she returns to Budapest &ndash; scene of her first global medal win in 2023 when she got World Championships bronze.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the women's triple jump at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: women's triple jump

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 19:10
Contenders: Freweyni Hailu (ETH) 💎 Likina Amebaw (ETH) Senayet Getachew (ETH) Aleshign Baweke (ETH) Rose Davies (AUS) Fantaye Belayneh (ETH) Shelby Houlihan (USA) Hannah Nuttall (GBR) Jessica Hull (AUS) Maureen Koster (NED) Marta Garc&iacute;a (ESP) Hirut Meshesha (ETH)
World lead: 14:18.41 Likina Amebaw (ETH) Rome, 4 Jun <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/middlelong/5000-metres/outdoor/women/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/5000m/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 13:58.06 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) Eugene, 5 Jul 2025 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/5000-metres/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/3241?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Diamond League champion Freweyni Hailu arrives with the freshest form after leading an Ethiopian 1-2-3 in Brussels</li>
<li>World leader Likina Amebaw has run 14:18.41 this year, just 0.13 ahead of compatriot Aleshign Baweke</li>
<li>Six Ethiopian athletes feature in a 12-woman field that also includes Commonwealth champion Rose Davies and Olympic medallist Jessica Hull</li>
</ul>
Ethiopian athletes have dominated the women's 5000m in 2026, and Budapest could provide the ultimate test of that strength in depth.
Six Ethiopians line up in the 12-woman final, headed on the clock by Likina Amebaw. She produced a world-leading 14:18.41 in Rome in June, but there was barely daylight between her and her compatriots that night.
Aleshign Baweke finished just 0.13 behind in 14:18.54 and Freweyni Hailu followed in 14:18.94, with Senayet Getachew, Hirut Meshesha and Fantaye Belayneh also among the first seven home. Those performances leave six members of the Ultimate field among the seven fastest women in the world this year.
But it is Hailu who arrives with the most recent victory to her name. The former world indoor 1500m champion produced the decisive move at the Diamond League Final in Brussels last weekend to win in 14:35.20 and claim her first Diamond Trophy over the longer distance.
Amebaw followed in 14:36.31 and Getachew completed an Ethiopian sweep of the top three in 14:37.09, with Australia's Rose Davies and Meshesha close behind.
Davies has already shown her championship credentials this summer. She won the Commonwealth title in Glasgow in 14:44.53, edging compatriot Jessica Hull by less than half a second. Hull, the Olympic 1500m silver medallist, adds considerable finishing speed to a race that could become tactical.
Shelby Houlihan also knows how to contend at the highest level, having finished fourth in the 5000m at last year's World Championships in Tokyo. Marta Garc&iacute;a, Hannah Nuttall, Belayneh and Davies all placed inside the top 10 in that final too.
European silver medallist Garc&iacute;a and experienced Dutch runner Maureen Koster add further depth, but the numbers point strongly towards Ethiopia.
Whether the race becomes a test of outright endurance or a battle for position before a furious final lap, Hailu, Amebaw and their compatriots appear likely to dictate the terms.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the women's 5000m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: women's 5000m

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 19:04
Contenders: Mateusz Kołodziejski (POL) 💎 Oleh Doroshchuk (UKR) Jan &Scaron;tefela (CZE) JuVaughn Harrison (USA) Tyus Wilson (USA) Erick Portillo (MEX) Romaine Beckford (JAM) Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA)
World lead: 2.34m JuVaughn Harrison (USA) Monaco, 5 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/jumps/high-jump/outdoor/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/high-jump/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 2.45m Javier Sotomayor (CUB) Salamanca, 27 Jul 93 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/jumps/high-jump/all/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/14926?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Mateusz Kołodziejski pulled off a late-season surprise to win the Diamond League Final in Brussels, booking a late spot in Budapest</li>
<li>JuVaughn Harrison boasts the world lead of 2.34m</li>
<li>Gianmarco Tamberi returns to the scene of his 2023 world title win</li>
</ul>
Mateusz Kołodziejski couldn&rsquo;t disguise his delight and surprise in winning the Diamond League high jump title in Brussels last week, which booked his spot at the Ultimate Championship.
The Pole produced a best clearance of 2.28m to edge out JuVaughn Harrison of the US, who boasts the world lead so far in 2026.
His clearance of 2.34m back in Monaco at the start of August remains the benchmark for the season with his peers and he has previous in Budapest. It was there three years ago that he equalled his personal best of 2.36m to take the silver medal behind Gianmarco Tamberi.
The Italian has been curtailed by injury for a lot of the time since then, but the 34-year-old appears to have broken off the shackles of his ailments with something of a renaissance.
The ever-popular athlete won the European Championships on his daughter&rsquo;s first birthday, with world indoor champion Oleh Doroshchuk having to make do with second, and it helped Tamberi earn an exceptional invitation to the Ultimate.
In recent times, the men&rsquo;s high jump has been dominated by Hamish Kerr but he is missing from the end-of-season finale. So too is Woo Sanghyeok, who was runner-up to the New Zealander in Tokyo last year.
Kerr, the Olympic and world champion, cleared 2.28m in Auckland in March but has not competed since. And Woo has faced his own challenges this season. He suffered plantar fascia damage when his spike broke while competing in Tokyo in May and subsequently did not compete for three months.&nbsp;
Ukraine&rsquo;s Doroshchuk took the early-season honours by winning at the World Indoor Championships in Toruń in March, and his season&rsquo;s best set on home soil in June is just one centimetre shy of Harrison&rsquo;s world lead. He also won at the Monaco Diamond League with 2.32m and shared third with Tamberi at the Diamond League Final.
Matt Majendie for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the men's high jump at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: men's high jump

Semifinals:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 19:57 Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 18:36
Contenders: Rai Benjamin (USA) 🏅 🌍 Alison dos Santos (BRA) 💎 Karsten Warholm (NOR) Ezekiel Nathaniel (NGR) Abderrahman Samba (QAT) Emil Agyekum (GER) Matheus Lima (BRA) Caleb Dean (USA) Trevor Bassitt (USA) Matic Ian Guček (SLO) İsmail Nezir (TUR) Yeral Nu&ntilde;ez (DOM) Bassem Hemeida (QAT) Oskar Edlund (SWE) Kemorena Tisang (BOT) Owe Fischer-Breiholz (GER)
World lead: 45.80 Alison dos Santos (BRA) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/400mh/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record:&nbsp;45.80 Alison dos Santos (BRA) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/14438?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Alison dos Santos arrives in Budapest fresh off a world record and his Diamond League title win</li>
<li>Karsten Warholm seeks another Budapest victory after his 2023 world title win</li>
<li>Rai Benjamin has set his sights on a 400m and 400m hurdles double as the top three in history clash again</li>
</ul>
As pre-major championship statements go, they don&rsquo;t get much bigger than a world record. Brazil&rsquo;s Alison dos Santos stunned the world when he clocked 45.80 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Zurich at the end of last month, that performance taking 0.14 off the world 400m hurdles record set by Karsten Warholm in 2021.
And it was the manner in which he achieved it &ndash; making up the stagger on Warholm by half way and easing ahead, the 26-year-old making history as he hit the finish line.
Something very special could be coming at the Ultimate Championship, especially as the event will pit Dos Santos and Warholm against Rai Benjamin &ndash; the Olympic and world champion who is eyeing a 400m and 400m hurdles double in Budapest.
Dos Santos had already been in impressive form before his 45.80. The 2022 world champion held the world lead of 46.43 &ndash; then the sixth-fastest performance in history &ndash; which he set in Silesia and he had won all four of his clashes against Norway&rsquo;s three-time world champion Warholm in 2026 to that point. But his run in Zurich was on another level.
He closed his Diamond League campaign with another win &ndash; taking the series title in Brussels.
Warholm has certainly not been slacking, either. The Norwegian hurdles star, who set the former world record of 45.94 when winning his Olympic title in Tokyo, clocked 46.52 to finish behind Dos Santos in Silesia and he also won at the London Diamond League and European Championships &ndash; securing a record fourth successive continental men's 400m hurdles title.
He also knows how it feels to win in Budapest &ndash; the 30-year-old claimed the third of his world crowns in the Hungarian capital.
The event gives them the opportunity to renew their rivalry with Benjamin. The US 29-year-old switched his focus to the 400m flat for 2026 but in his sole hurdles appearance of the year so far he clocked 46.67 for a clear victory during a promotional event at the Lausanne Diamond League. It will be the first time these three athletes &ndash; the top three in history &ndash; will clash since last year&rsquo;s World Championships final.
Others looking to make an impact include&nbsp;Brazil&rsquo;s Matheus Lima and&nbsp;Qatar's Abderrahman Samba, the world bronze medallist behind Benjamin and Dos Santos in Tokyo, as well as world fourth-place finisher Ezekiel Nathaniel of Nigeria who won the Commonwealth Games title in Glasgow.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the men's 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: men's 400m hurdles

As an official global partner of the championship, Sony unlocks new storytelling experiences for athletics fans worldwide through advanced broadcast technologies
Sony Corporation (Sony) and World Athletics are joining forces to introduce new broadcast innovations for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on 11-13 September. Sony will serve as an official global partner of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, providing its proprietary optical tracking technology to create a new visualisation of sprint finishes, as a proof of concept at the championship.
Drawing on Sony&rsquo;s long history of working with world-class broadcasters to showcase some of the world&rsquo;s largest sporting events, this partnership will combine Sony's technologies with World Athletics' ambition to reimagine the presentation of athletics and create more immersive and emotionally engaging viewing experiences for fans around the world.&nbsp;
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is a bold new global championship bringing together the world's best athletes to settle who is the greatest in athletics. Designed to create a new experience for fans, the championship places broadcast innovation at the heart of how athletics is presented to audiences around the world. The initiatives are designed to make the decisive moments of athletics more visible.
<h3>Reimagining the finish line</h3>
Developed specifically for track disciplines, the technology captures athlete movement data and recreates the decisive moments of sprint races as immersive three-dimensional computer graphics (3DCG) visualisations. These assets will be integrated into the host broadcaster&rsquo;s international feed, which will be aired by more than 30 major broadcasters worldwide, including the BBC (United Kingdom), NBCUniversal (United States), CCTV (China), ARD/ZDF (Germany), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), L&rsquo;&Eacute;quipe (France), CPSL (Caribbean), Polsat (Poland) and TBS (Japan).
By transforming split-second performances into dynamic visual storytelling, this new proof of concept aims to give audiences a new perspective of athletics, helping them better appreciate the extraordinary speed and athleticism of the world's greatest competitors.
As part of the partnership, Sony will also continue to support and work with accredited photographers to ensure their creative and delivery process runs smoothly at the camera service booth in the venue. Hawk-Eye Innovations, a Sony group company, will also provide its video replay service to help World Athletics officials make accurate and efficient decisions throughout the championship.
&ldquo;Since Sony became an official partner of World Athletics, we have been constantly inspired by the passion of competing athletes and creators who deliver the distinctive perspectives of the sports to the fans worldwide,&rdquo; said Sony Corporation Senior Vice President Fumiatsu Hirai. &ldquo;We are excited to collaborate with World Athletics for the Ultimate Championship to deliver new broadcast experiences that reimagine how the most decisive moments in athletics can be presented, helping bring fans closer to the emotion, intensity and stories that make athletics so compelling.&rdquo;
World Athletics Chief Information Officer An Dang Duy said: &ldquo;The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is designed to challenge conventions and elevate how our sport is experienced by fans around the world. Working with Sony allows us to explore new possibilities in storytelling, technology and broadcast augmentation, creating never-before-seen moments that help audiences fully appreciate just how remarkable these performances are, while bringing them closer to the raw drama, intensity and extraordinary human achievement that define athletics.&rdquo;
Visit <a href="https://www.sony.net/brand/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the official Sony x World Athletics website</a> for more information.&nbsp;

As an official global partner of the championship, Sony unlocks new storytelling experiences for athletics fans worldwide through advanced broadcast technologies

Sony and World Athletics bring broadcast innovation to life at Ultimate Championship

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 18:13
Contenders: Keshorn Walcott (TTO) 🌍 Arshad Nadeem (PAK) 🏅 Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (SRI) 💎 Anderson Peters (GRN) Julian Weber (GER) Curtis Thompson (USA) Julius Yego (KEN) Dawid Wegner (POL)
World lead: 92.62m Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (SRI) Rome, 4 Jun <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/throws/javelin-throw/all/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/javelin-throw/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 98.48m Jan Železn&yacute; (CZE) Jena, 25 May 1996 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/throws/javelin-throw/all/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/17622?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>World leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage arrives as Diamond League and Commonwealth champion after a breakthrough 92.62m season</li>
<li>European champion Julian Weber is the only other entrant to have surpassed 90 metres in 2026</li>
<li>World champion Keshorn Walcott and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem add to an eight-man field packed with global title winners</li>
</ul>
Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has transformed himself from emerging contender to the dominant force in men's javelin during a remarkable 2026 season.
The Sri Lankan made the biggest statement in Rome in June, launching his javelin out to a national record of 92.62m. It moved him to eighth on the world all-time list and more than two metres clear of anyone else in the world at that stage of the season.
And Pathirage has repeatedly backed it up. He won Diamond League meetings in Rome, Doha, Lausanne and Zurich, where he produced another huge throw of 92.07m, before securing his first Diamond Trophy with 89.04m in Brussels.
He has also delivered when championship medals have been on the line, throwing 89.75m to win the Commonwealth title in Glasgow ahead of Neeraj Chopra.
Julian Weber has been his closest rival on the 2026 world list. The German produced 90.40m to win his first European title in Birmingham last month and followed that with 89.54m in Berlin, underlining the consistency of his late-season form.
But major championship pedigree is everywhere in Budapest. Keshorn Walcott returns as the reigning world champion after his victory in Tokyo last year, where Anderson Peters took silver and Curtis Thompson bronze. Peters, the world champion in 2019 and 2022, has improved to 86.93m this season, while Thompson has reached 87.59m.
Dawid Wegner is another athlete peaking at the right moment. The Pole produced a lifetime best of 87.47m to finish second to Pathirage at the Diamond League Final, adding more than four metres to the mark with which he had placed fourth at the European Championships.
Kenya's 2015 world champion Julius Yego and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem complete a field containing five men with lifetime bests beyond 90 metres.
Pathirage has been the outstanding thrower of the year, but in the Ultimate's four-round format, one big throw from any of this decorated field could be enough to change the story.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the men's javelin at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: men's javelin

Semifinals:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 18:46 Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 18:08
Contenders: Anna Cockrell (USA) 💎 Emma Zapletalov&aacute; (SVK) Jasmine Jones (USA) Rushell Clayton (JAM) Gianna Woodruff (PAN) Dalilah Muhammad (USA) Kemi Adekoya (BRN) Amalie Iuel (NOR) Fatoumata Binta Diallo (POR) Paulien Couckuyt (BEL) Ayomide Folorunso (ITA) Sanique Walker (JAM) Ashley Miller (ZIM) Shiann Salmon (JAM) Lina Nielsen (GBR) Shamier Little (USA) S&aacute;ra M&aacute;t&oacute; (HUN)
World lead: 52.13 Anna Cockrell (USA) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/women/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/400mh/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 50.37 Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) Paris, 8 Aug 2024 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/4338?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>After seasons of injuries, a fit Emma Zapletalov&aacute; has been the form athlete for much of the season with five Diamond League wins</li>
<li>But her world lead was eclipsed by Anna Cockrell as the US athlete won in Zurich</li>
<li>Dalilah Muhammad is still in the mix, a decade on from her Olympic gold</li>
</ul>
Emma Zapletalov&aacute; has very much had to play the long game but finally her patience is paying off.
The Slovakian athlete had to endure three years of injury-ravaged seasons, missing the 2023 season altogether and running just three times the following year.
There were signs of promise last season when she performed well throughout the Diamond League and then finished on the podium at the World Championships but 2026 has proved to be her revelation.
She talked recently about finally running injury free and the results have been stand-out with five Diamond League 400m hurdles victories to her name as well as becoming the first Slovakian woman to win a European title which she achieved in Birmingham.
The one blemish was a sixth place in Zurich where Anna Cockrell clocked the fastest time of the year when she won in a meeting record of 52.13, and Cockrell again just edged Zapletalov&aacute; at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
Cockrell&rsquo;s Zurich time was her fastest since running 51.87 to finish second at the Paris Olympic Games, a time that had put her fourth on the world all-time list.
But the Ultimate Championship looks unlikely to be a straight head to head between this pairing.
Dalilah Muhammad was meant to have packed up her running spikes with Tokyo pencilled in as her final ever competitive outing last year but, at 36, she is still running rapidly.
She was second behind Cockrell in Zurich, a decade on from winning Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro, but she struggled in Brussels. Surely Budapest will be the swan song to an illustrious career.
Others likely to be in the mix include Muhammad and Cockrell&rsquo;s US compatriot Jasmine Jones, the Tokyo world silver medallist ranked third in the world this season, and Jamaica&rsquo;s Rushell Clayton.
And home fans will be hoping that S&aacute;ra M&aacute;t&oacute; will be able to give them something to cheer about having earned one of the host member federation spots for the event.
Matt Majendie&nbsp;for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the women's 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: women's 400m hurdles

Live results, personalised content, games and rewards come together in the new World Athletics app
World Athletics has launched a new official app, bringing live results, performance data, the latest content, games, rewards and more together in one personalised experience. The app, <a href="https://appy.to/oogoe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available on iOS and Android</a>, can be downloaded by opening the link on a mobile device. It makes its debut ahead of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
Sick of your stream switching at the worst moment? Tired of hearing your friends celebrate before you&rsquo;ve even reached the bell? The app puts detailed results and performance data one tap away, from schedules ahead of competition to every split, jump and throw as the action unfolds. Fans can personalise their experience around the athletes, countries and events they most want to follow.
Designed as a second-screen companion to live coverage, the app presents results, statistics and performance data in engaging visual formats, helping fans follow the action as it happens or explore performances in greater detail.
The app also brings World Athletics content together in one place, with news, features, athlete stories and behind-the-scenes access alongside the live action. Some content may be available in the app before being shared across other World Athletics platforms, giving fans an inside track on the sport throughout the season.
In the Play Zone, users can test their athletics knowledge with trivia, take part in polls and use the Play Predictor to forecast results during events. Fans will also have opportunities to win rewards, which may include signed items from leading current and former athletes, official World Athletics merchandise and invitations to events around the world.
Users can also follow their favourite athletes and countries, check schedules and event information, find out where to watch, access tickets and shop World Athletics products.
Launching with a World Athletics Ultimate Championship look and feel, the World Athletics app will continue beyond Budapest as a year-round destination for fans of the sport.
The app adds to World Athletics&rsquo; digital offering alongside its website and social media channels.
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship, taking place on 11-13 September, is designed to settle the debate over who is the best of the best, with world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and the year&rsquo;s top-ranked athletes all striving to be crowned the champion of champions. The first edition will feature a historic prize pot of US$10 million.
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Learn more about the Ultimate Championship <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-ultimate-championship/2026">here</a>. Tickets are available at <a href="http://ultimateathleticschampionship.com/tickets">ultimateathleticschampionship.com/tickets</a>.

Live results, personalised content, games and rewards come together in the new World Athletics app

World Athletics launches new official app

Semifinals:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 19:21 Final:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 20:49
Contenders: Oblique Seville (JAM) 🌍 💎 Kenny Bednarek (USA) Kayinsola Ajayi (NGR) Gift Leotlela (RSA) Trayvon Bromell (USA) Emmanuel Eseme (CMR) Akani Simbine (RSA) Christian Coleman (USA) Romell Glave (GBR) Ronal Longa (COL) Marcell Jacobs (ITA) Lachlan Kennedy (AUS) Letsile Tebogo (BOT) Ronnie Baker (USA) Ackeem Blake (JAM) Jeremiah Azu (GBR)
World lead: 9.79 Noah Lyles (USA) New York, 24 Jul <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/100m/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 9.58 Usain Bolt (JAM) Berlin, 16 Aug 2009 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/16647?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Oblique Seville starts as fastest in the field this season on 9.82</li>
<li>Kayinsola Ajayi will be looking to challenge the world champion again</li>
<li>Noah Lyles misses out through injury but will help shape the championship in other ways</li>
</ul>
As the world champion and the Diamond League champion, Oblique Seville will be looking to add the title of inaugural Ultimate Champion to his CV.
But the Jamaican sprint star faces a formidable field in Budapest and while he might no longer have the threat of world leader Noah Lyles, he does face the man who beat him twice on the Diamond League circuit, Kayinsola Ajayi.
Seville starts as the fastest in the field this year as he ran 9.82 in Kingston in June, just 0.05 off the PB he set when winning the world title in Tokyo. He has backed that up with four other performances under 9.90, including 9.83 and 9.88 to win Diamond League races in Silesia and London, respectively.
He closed his Diamond League campaign by taking the series title in Brussels, clocking 9.90 to beat Emmanuel Eseme and Ajayi, and they will both be among his rivals in Budapest.
Ajayi has broken and then twice equalled the Nigerian record this season, running 9.84 in Lexington, Eugene and then London. His win in the promotional event at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene followed his NCAA title win in a slightly wind-assisted 9.72 (2.2m/s) on the same track the month before. He went on to win the Diamond League race in London ahead of Seville but was third at the Commonwealth Games behind Eseme and Lachlan Kennedy &ndash; Eseme running a Commonwealth Games and Cameroonian record of 9.83 and Australia&rsquo;s Kennedy an Oceanian record of 9.85 in the pouring rain. Ronal Longa has also run 9.85, a South American record, this year.
Two athletes are set to contest the 100m as part of a sprint double as two-time Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek and Letsile Tebogo are both also entered for the 200m. The 100m is up first, Olympic 200m champion Tebogo back on the track on which he secured world 100m silver and 200m bronze in 2023. Both of those races in Budapest were won by Lyles but the US sprinter will not be competing this time due to injury.
Lyles will still be in Budapest, however, in his role as an Ultimate Star, serving as Ultimate MC and Creative Adviser for the championship. He will also shape the creative direction of Club Ultimate, the after-party designed exclusively for athletes at the event &ndash; but who will be there as the men&rsquo;s 100m Ultimate Champion remains to be seen.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the men's 100m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: men's 100m

Semifinals:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 19:04 Final:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 20:38
Contenders: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) 🌍 Julien Alfred (LCA) 🏅 Tina Clayton (JAM) 💎 Sha'Carri Richardson (USA) Amy Hunt (GBR) Jonielle Smith (JAM) Brianna Lyston (JAM) Zaynab Dosso (ITA) Zoe Hobbs (NZL) Patrizia van der Weken (LUX) Lavanya Williams (JAM) Tamari Davis (USA) Audrey Leduc (CAN) Jodean Williams (JAM) Sade McCreath (CAN) Cambrea Sturgis (USA) Bogl&aacute;rka Tak&aacute;cs (HUN)
World lead: 10.70 Julien Alfred (LCA) and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/women/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/100m/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 10.49 Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) Indianapolis, 16 Jul 1988 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/2002?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>World champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Olympic champion Julien Alfred share the world lead at 10.70 after their thrilling clash in Zurich</li>
<li>Tina Clayton arrives fresh from winning her first Diamond League title in Brussels</li>
<li>Sha'Carri Richardson returns to the stadium where she won the world title in 2023, having claimed the US crown in 10.77 this year</li>
</ul>
There could hardly be a more fitting way to decide the inaugural Ultimate women's 100m champion than another showdown between Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Julien Alfred.
Jefferson-Wooden returns to Budapest as the world champion, having produced a stunning 10.61 championship record to win in Tokyo last year, where she finished 0.15 clear of Tina Clayton and Alfred.
The US sprinter has remained the world No.1 throughout 2026, winning Diamond League races in Stockholm and Eugene before beating Alfred 10.78 to 10.83 in Silesia last month.
Four days later, though, Alfred turned the tables in Zurich. The Olympic champion produced a Saint Lucian record of 10.70 and edged Jefferson-Wooden by the smallest of margins, with both women credited with the world-leading time.
Clayton adds another major threat. The Jamaican took world silver behind Jefferson-Wooden in Tokyo and arrives in Budapest as the newly crowned Diamond League champion after winning the final in Brussels in 10.93. She had earlier run a season's best of 10.85.
Sha'Carri Richardson also knows exactly what it takes to win on this track. It was here in 2023 that she stormed to the world title in 10.65, and the US champion has returned to form this year with a season's best of 10.77.
European champion Amy Hunt has enjoyed a breakthrough season of her own. The Briton won the continental 100m title in Birmingham, part of an unprecedented four-gold haul at those championships, and then finished second to Clayton at the Diamond League Final.
The depth extends well beyond the established champions. Canada's Sade McCreath has improved her national record to 10.86, while Jonielle Smith, Lavanya Williams, Cambrea Sturgis, Zoe Hobbs and Brianna Lyston have all broken 10.95 this year.
But recent evidence points back towards the three global medallists from Tokyo. Jefferson-Wooden has the world title, Alfred the Olympic crown and Clayton the Diamond Trophy. Budapest now offers the chance to settle which of them ends 2026 as the Ultimate champion.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the women's 100m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: women's 100m

Semifinals:&nbsp;Friday 11 Sep, 20:57 Final:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 20:18
Contenders: Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) 🏅 Audrey Werro (SUI) 💎 Femke Broeders-Bol (NED) Addison Wiley (USA) Prudence Sekgodiso (RSA) Oratile Nowe (BOT) Nigist Getachew (ETH) Roisin Willis (USA) Shafiqua Maloney (VIN) Sarah Billings (AUS) R&eacute;nelle Lamote (FRA) Raevyn Rogers (USA) Eloisa Coiro (ITA) Halimah Nakaayi (UGA) Valentina Rosamilia (SUI) Veronica Vancardo (SUI)
World lead: 1:53.70 Audrey Werro (SUI) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/middlelong/800-metres/outdoor/women/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/800m/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 1:53.28 Jarmila Kratochv&iacute;lov&aacute; (TCH) Munich, 26 Jul 1983 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/800-metres/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/2769?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Audrey Werro has been the breakout star of 2026, going unbeaten outdoors and climbing to third on the world all-time list with 1:53.70</li>
<li>Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson is set to return after a hamstring issue kept her out of Zurich and the Diamond League Final</li>
<li>Femke Broeders-Bol has improved to 1:54.71 in her first season at the event and finished just 0.06 behind Werro in Brussels</li>
</ul>
Few events have evolved quite as dramatically in 2026 as the women's 800m.
Keely Hodgkinson began the year by breaking the world indoor record with 1:54.87 and then winning the world indoor title in Toruń. But outdoors, Audrey Werro has emerged as the athlete everyone else has been trying to catch.
The Swiss 22-year-old announced herself in stunning fashion in Stockholm in June, beating Hodgkinson in 1:53.98 to become just the third woman in history to break 1:54. Hodgkinson's 1:54.33 for second was itself a British record.
Werro subsequently improved to 1:53.80 in Paris and then 1:53.70 in Zurich, edging ever closer to Jarmila Kratochv&iacute;lov&aacute;'s long-standing world record of 1:53.28.
She has also delivered when medals have been at stake. Werro beat Hodgkinson and Femke Broeders-Bol to the European title in Birmingham before rounding off her Diamond League campaign with victory in Brussels last weekend.
That latest win was anything but comfortable. Broeders-Bol followed her every move before drawing almost level in the home straight, Werro holding on by just 0.06 in 1:54.75.
The Dutchwoman's progress has been remarkable. Having switched to the 800m this season after years of dominance in the 400m hurdles, Broeders-Bol has improved with almost every outing. Her 1:54.71 in Zurich moved her to ninth on the world all-time list.
Hodgkinson, meanwhile, arrives with more uncertainty. After taking European silver behind Werro, a hamstring issue forced her to miss both Zurich and Brussels. But the Olympic champion is set to compete in Budapest, where she will attempt to rediscover the form that carried her to the world indoor title earlier this year.
Addison Wiley, world indoor bronze medallist in Toruń, heads the challengers behind the leading trio, while 2019 world champion Halimah Nakaayi and 2021 Olympic medallist Raevyn Rogers add further championship pedigree.
Werro has been the woman to beat outdoors all season. But with Hodgkinson returning and Broeders-Bol getting closer with every race, maintaining that perfect record in Budapest may be her toughest task yet.
Matt Majendie for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the women's 800m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Logo, mascot and slogan unveiled to mark one year to World Athletics Championships Beijing 27

Ultimate preview: women's 200m

Ultimate preview: men's 200m

Ultimate preview: men's 1500m

Ultimate preview: mixed 4x400m