Ukraine&rsquo;s world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh won a second global title in the Hungarian capital, soaring to the inaugural high jump crown at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 on Friday (11).
The Olympic champion only had one failure up to her winning height of 1.99m and she went on to take three attempts at 2.04m &ndash; a mark that would have added a centimetre to her own world lead.
In a battle between the reigning Olympic and world champions, Australia&rsquo;s Nicola Olyslagers finished second on 1.95m. Australia&rsquo;s recent Diamond League champion Eleanor Patterson and Serbia&rsquo;s world bronze medallist Angelina Topić placed joint third on 1.91m.
Back at the scene of her world title win in 2023, Mahuchikh opened her campaign at 1.91m and cleared that and 1.95m on her first attempts. She needed two tries at 1.99m but was confirmed the champion when Olyslagers was unable to make it over that bar.
On a chilly evening at the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre, Mahuchikh went back to her sleeping bag as the inaugural Ultimate champion, to prepare to attempt a would-be world lead of 2.04m.
The 24-year-old, who cleared 2.03m on home soil indoors in January, couldn&rsquo;t make it over 2.04m this time but it didn&rsquo;t matter &ndash; her title was secured.
"I am so proud to be in the history of world athletics," said Mahuchikh. "This is the first Ultimate Championship and I am the first Ultimate champion &ndash; I am so happy."
It was the height of 1.95m that really made the difference in Budapest on Friday evening. One by one, Ukraine&rsquo;s Olympic bronze medallist Iryna Gerashchenko, Topić and then Patterson knocked off the bar for each of their three attempts while Olyslagers cleared it on her third and final try.
That left Mahuchikh and Olyslagers to battle for the win and Mahuchikh clinched the Ultimate trophy &ndash; another honour to go with her 2023 world title win, 2024 Olympic crown and two world indoor victories.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Ukraine’s world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh won a second global title in the Hungarian capital, soaring to the inaugural high jump crown at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Mahuchikh soars to Ultimate high jump title back in Budapest

Germany&rsquo;s Merlin Hummel produced one of the first big shocks of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26, defeating multiple global champion Ethan Katzberg and world leader Bence Hal&aacute;sz to win the men&rsquo;s hammer.
The world silver medallist opened with 81.46m, which stood up as the best mark of the competition. European champion Hal&aacute;sz, Hungary&rsquo;s best hope of glory this weekend, started his campaign with 80.30m to move into second place.
The biggest surprise of the contest, though, was that world and Olympic champion Katzberg failed to record a valid throw. The Canadian&rsquo;s opening-round effort landed comfortably beyond the 80-metre line, but it was a few metres wide of the sector. His second attempt was also a no-throw; in the format used for the Ultimate Championship, only the top six athletes progressed beyond round two.
Olympic bronze medallist Mykhaylo Kokhan was sitting in third place at the half-way stage, and he consolidated that in round three with 78.90m.
Hummel came close to his leading mark in round three, sending his hammer out to 81.44m. Four athletes progressed to the fourth and final round, but none of them registered an improvement, meaning Hummel held on to his lead and gained revenge on Hal&aacute;sz, who had taken European gold ahead of the German in Birmingham last month.
"It is so overwhelming," said Hummel. "Just two years ago I was in the top eight in the world, so then I was overwhelmed with the silver medal at the World Championships last year. I am used to being in the top three now, but winning the Ultimate title feels very special. I still cannot describe how I feel. All of athletes had problems with the wet circle so we had to adapt to it. I fell once and destroyed some cameras so I just had to adapt to the competition and stay relaxed."
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Germany’s Merlin Hummel produced one of the first big shocks of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Hummel upsets the favourites to become Ultimate hammer champion in Budapest

The World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 got off to an explosive start as the USA triumphed in the opening discipline, the mixed 4x100m, winning in 39.64 &ndash; the second-fastest time in history.
Four months after finishing a distant third at the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26, the sprints powerhouse came out on top in Budapest, turning the tables on World Relays winners Jamaica.
Ronnie Baker, part of USA's triumphant squad in the men's 4x100m at last year's World Championships, got his team off to a strong start before handing over to Anavia Battle. Jamaica, meanwhile, were also in contention thanks to the efforts of Ackeem Blake and Tina Clayton in the first half.
Courtney Lindsey maintained the USA's lead on the third leg and then handed over to Kayle White, whose storming anchor leg secured the first victory of the Ultimate Championship in 39.64, just 0.02 shy of the world record that Jamaica had set in Gaborone.
Jamaica finished second here in 39.72 with European champions Great Britain &amp; NI taking third in 40.26.
"It's really exciting to be the first ever Ultimate champions," said Baker. "The crowd is amazing and I really love the event itself, and the trophy is amazing. But it's also pretty heavy so I will need to keep it away from my kid!"
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

The World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 got off to an explosive start as the USA triumphed in the opening discipline, the mixed 4x100m, winning in 39.64

USA triumphs in mixed 4x100m in Budapest

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe explains why athletes were at the forefront of the thinking for the inaugural Ultimate Championship
If someone had approached me with the concept of the Ultimate when I was an athlete, I would have leapt at the opportunity and that&rsquo;s because of the head to heads.
I love racing and particularly racing when it matters. In a championship year when you wake up on 1 January, you just wake up feeling a little bit different &ndash; it&rsquo;s like, &ldquo;this is serious&rdquo;. The championships are the business end of the season. This year that&rsquo;s the Ultimate, and that&rsquo;s a little bit different, too.
We will see Olympic champions, we will see world champions, we will see the newly crowned Diamond League champions, newly minted world record-holders. They&rsquo;re all hungry to compete and I know that because I&rsquo;ve spoken to so many of them. This is about the best of the best, and I love that.
It's been my mantra from the early days as a competitor through to right now being World Athletics President, that it always has to be about the athletes.
You have to bring the lens of the athlete into all the big decisions &ndash; they&rsquo;re our crucial asset. And I wake up every day trying to remind myself that the decisions we make have to be for the athlete and, if you have them as your North Star, you won&rsquo;t go far wrong.
I'm so bored listening to people in sport saying we&rsquo;re an athlete-centric organisation, but what does that actually mean? We have got to go beyond simply saying that and meaning that to listen to them, but also graduate to us becoming commercial partners with our athletes.
We&rsquo;ve spoken to our athletes and what they&rsquo;ve told us is don&rsquo;t compromise. If you're going to do this differently, properly do it differently. We have looked at different things and we have listened to the athletes over that, and there are some things we&rsquo;ve adapted according to their feedback.
I heard Josh Kerr saying, &ldquo;this is an event that is needed,&rdquo; and that&rsquo;s a good thing. But crucially, this has got to look different and feel different.
I want the athletes to walk away at the end of it all and think &ldquo;this felt different&rdquo;. Athletes are understandably cautious when they hear federations saying they&rsquo;re going to do this or that. I want them to feel comforted at the end of this, to think we did everything in our power to do something different and valuable.
We&rsquo;re using the skill, amplification and ability to communicate of some of our athletes as Ultimate Stars. We&rsquo;ve had Noah Lyles being interviewed on NBC about it and we have Melissa Jefferson-Wooden driving the Kids' Athletics programme.
And then we have Mondo Duplantis having written and performed the anthem, but individually and collectively they&rsquo;re all showing their other dimensions well beyond them as an athlete, whether they be fashion, music or whatever it is.&nbsp;
It's taken a lot of Herculean work on behalf of a lot of people and this is the third year we&rsquo;ve been working on the Ultimate. Central to our thinking on it has always been athlete welfare. We talk about the physical side of that and also the mental side but there&rsquo;s a critical third pillar which people don&rsquo;t tend to link to the other two, and that is financial security.
If you haven&rsquo;t got financial security for athletes, you must do everything you possibly can to professionalise the sport and put more money into the pockets of the athletes. They won&rsquo;t stay in the sport as long as you want them to, they're not going to train optimally, they&rsquo;re probably going to be cutting corners when it comes to health and science, and you're also going to put them under undue stresses. That can be physical or mental and again financial when they&rsquo;re the main breadwinner at home.
The Ultimate has a prize pot of US$10million, the individual winners will go home with $150,000, and I&rsquo;m very proud of that. It&rsquo;s the sort of payday our athletes work so hard for and deserve.
This is a new event and, sure, not everything we try is going to pass the first road test but that's okay. I'd much rather people wake up on the Monday after the Ultimate saying, &ldquo;Yeah, they gave it a real go,&rdquo; even if not everything clicked. I&rsquo;d far rather that than we played it safe.
But we&rsquo;re confident in what we&rsquo;re doing and the birth of the Ultimate, putting athletes first but also being an incubator for change, hopefully in the future changing our own World Championships with the different innovations we have in Budapest.
We want this to be the start of an innovative journey through every aspect of our sport. It&rsquo;s been an event created with and by the fans, and with and by the athletes. This is an extraordinary event that has huge potential.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe explains why athletes were at the forefront of the thinking for the inaugural Ultimate Championship

Coe: The Ultimate has to look and feel different

Athletes brought personality, anticipation and a glimpse of what is to come at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 as The Day Before &ndash; a new-look pre-event media programme &ndash; took place at the Gyula Zsivotzky&nbsp;National Athletics Centre on Thursday (10).
Replacing the traditional athlete press conference with a series of more athlete-forward media and content opportunities, The Day Before featured a red carpet, athlete interviews and content capture, the first-ever 200m lane draft, and a Kids&rsquo; Athletics Ultimate Challenge. About 200 athletes were in attendance, and they interacted with 220 accredited members of the media and broadcasters.
The afternoon opened with an official press conference featuring World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, Ultimate Legend Usain Bolt, G&aacute;bor P&oacute;sfai, Minister of the Interior of Hungary, and 2008 Olympic 100m hurdles champion Dawn Harper-Nelson, who will serve as an infield host throughout the three-day championship.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve created a stage that I genuinely think our best athletes will respond to,&rdquo; said Coe. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re here in Budapest to solve those bar-room, coffee-house discussions: who&rsquo;s the best? Nobody goes into sport to figure out who&rsquo;s second best. They go in wanting to know who the best is.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I think this new format is a great mix of tradition and innovation,&rdquo; said P&oacute;sfai. &ldquo;One of the big questions is how we can reach young people and develop innovative models. I believe that with this format we can break down some barriers and reach new people.&rdquo;
Bolt welcomed the opportunity to see the sport experimenting with a different kind of championship.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to see track and field going in a different direction, something more exciting,&rdquo; said the multiple world and Olympic champion. &ldquo;This is going to be great, to see the best of the best. I&rsquo;ve always lived to compete against the best, so I would thrive in this moment.&rdquo;
Harper-Nelson was equally enthusiastic about the championship&rsquo;s willingness to experiment and involve athletes in shaping its innovations.
&ldquo;Just take the lane draft as an example. They wanted input from the athletes,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;And I want to bring the drama. I want to have them nervous, like: &lsquo;Where should I go? What should be happening?&rsquo;&rdquo;
&ldquo;When the camera comes to me, expect drama. Expect excitement. Because that&rsquo;s what this sport is,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;World records could fall every day. That is the energy that I want to bring.&rdquo;
<h2>200m athletes make their picks</h2>
Harper-Nelson then took charge of one of the afternoon&rsquo;s biggest innovations: the first 200m lane draft, as the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s sprinters selected their semi-final heat and lane.
Starting with the highest-ranked athlete in the discipline world rankings, the sprinters made their selections one at a time. Each successive athlete could see the choices already made, giving them the option to line up alongside a rival or avoid them as the available lanes narrowed.
The biggest reactions came when the second-ranked athletes in both draws chose to go head-to-head with the top-ranked contenders.
In the women&rsquo;s draw, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden selected lane six, placing herself directly alongside world No.1 and Olympic champion Gabby Thomas. They will be joined in that semi-final by Rhasidat Adeleke, Jenna Prandini, Kayla White and Torrie Lewis, among others. The opposite semi-final features Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Amy Hunt, Anavia Battle and Ja&euml;l Bestu&eacute;.
There was a similar show of intent in the men&rsquo;s draw, where Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo opted for lane six, just outside world No.1 and Diamond League champion Kenny Bednarek. Their semi-final will also feature Alexander Ogando, Courtney Lindsey, Timoth&eacute; Mumenthaler and Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike, while the other race includes Andre De Grasse, Makanakaishe Charamba, Bryan Levell and Aaron Brown.
<h2>Ultimate stars hit the red carpet</h2>
Athletes and ambassadors arrived throughout the afternoon for a red-carpet experience designed to showcase their personalities away from the competition arena.
Dressed in lifestyle clothing of their choice, they took part in photography, video and Glambot shoots before moving into the media day area for interviews, photoshoots and content sessions with rights-holding broadcasters, international media, photographers and content creators.
Two-time world indoor champion and world record-holder Simon Ehammer embraced the opportunity to step outside the usual pre-competition routine.
&ldquo;It was so good and so strange at the same time to step onto the red carpet at the stadium,&rdquo; said Ehammer. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like the usual stuff we do before a competition, but I think it&rsquo;s a good idea to show another side of the athlete.&rdquo;
For Georgia Hunter Bell, the afternoon offered a chance to show some style.
&ldquo;I like growing my hair out but, being in a long race for four minutes, you can't wear your hair down all the time,&rdquo; said the European 1500m champion. &ldquo;So I usually have to finish my race before letting my hair down.&rdquo;
World 400m hurdles record-holder Alison dos Santos felt that giving athletes greater freedom to express themselves could help attract a wider audience.
&ldquo;I want to show people that I love and enjoy what I&rsquo;m doing, just be myself, wear nice jewellery, show up with a different hairstyle, do different things at the track like dancing,&rdquo; said Dos Santos. &ldquo;I want to be that guy who is going to bring people to the sport because they&rsquo;re going to be curious about it.&rdquo;
<h2>Jefferson-Wooden and Tebogo take on the Kids' Athletics Ultimate Challenge</h2>
Later in the afternoon, Ultimate Stars Jefferson-Wooden and Tebogo swapped elite competition for grassroots athletics as they led teams of local children in the Kids&rsquo; Athletics Ultimate Challenge inside the stadium.
&ldquo;It was a lot of fun,&rdquo; said Jefferson-Wooden, the world 100m and 200m champion. &ldquo;Being able to spend time with kids who love what I love brings everything back full circle. It reminds me why I do it and where it all started, with me being a kid who wanted to run really fast.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It was a great experience with the kids. I really love working with them,&rdquo; said Tebogo. &ldquo;Even though there was a language barrier, they could understand what was happening and what they needed to do. They were a really great team. I wish we could run it again.&rdquo;
US sprinter TeeTee Terry was also on hand to meet the children, signing copies of her books &lsquo;TeeTee&rsquo;s World Adventure&rsquo; and &lsquo;TeeTee&rsquo;s World Adventure: Little Steps, Big Wins&rsquo;.
The activity brought The Day Before to a close, one day before the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 gets under way at the National Athletics Centre.

Athletes brought personality, anticipation and a glimpse of what is to come at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 as The Day Before – a new-look pre-event media programme – took place at the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre on Thursday (10).

Athletes take centre stage at The Day Before in Budapest

A selection of quotes from athletes at The Day Before at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

The Day Before athlete quotes

Competition dates confirmed as 10-19 September 2027
The logo, mascot and slogan for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 27 (WCH Beijing 27) have been revealed to celebrate one year until the prestigious global event returns to China&rsquo;s capital.
The 21st edition of the championships will welcome the sport&rsquo;s biggest stars back to Beijing for 10 days of competition, 12 years on from the successful staging of athletics&rsquo; flagship event in the iconic Bird&rsquo;s Nest.
Following a request from the local organising committee (LOC), made in consultation with the Chinese Athletics Association, the World Athletics Council has approved a change to the competition dates. The championships will now take place from Friday 10 September to Sunday 19 September 2027 inclusive, rather than from 11-19 September 2027 as previously scheduled.
The adjustment will allow the opening ceremony to take place on 10 September in conjunction with the first competition session of the championships. It will also enable the competition programme to be staged with an evening session on each of the 10 days.
A competition timetable incorporating the additional competition day and session will be developed by World Athletics in consultation with the LOC and the relevant functional areas. The final competition timetable remains subject to approval by the World Athletics Council and will be communicated in due course.
<h2>Jingyue and Jingyan</h2>
Named &lsquo;Jingyue&rsquo;, the event logo is inspired by the fusion of the Temple of Heaven, one of Beijing&rsquo;s iconic historic landmarks, and the Chinese character &lsquo;jing&rsquo; ( 京). Created with expressive brushstrokes, the design outlines the dome of the Temple of Heaven while subtly incorporating the structural form of the character. The flowing lines create a harmonious blend of the local features of Beijing and the vitality of athletics.
Surrounding the emblem is a multicoloured running track, symbolising the diversity and inclusiveness of the event. Its colour aligns with the event&rsquo;s warm-toned colour system.
The name &lsquo;Jingyue&rsquo; carries a dual meaning. The first character identifies the host city, while the second embodies the essence of athletics. It evokes athletes sprinting towards the finish line while reflecting Beijing&rsquo;s openness and confidence in welcoming athletes and friends from around the world.
Jingyan the mascot takes inspiration from Yan&rsquo;er, the mascot from the World Championships in 2015. The concept is centred on the idea of the swallow returning to its nest after 12 years, symbolising the return of the World Championships to Beijing.
The design incorporates traditional kite patterns, an element of China&rsquo;s national intangible cultural heritage, together with distinctive Peking Opera eye makeup motifs and lightning-inspired graphic elements, connecting nature, culture, art and sportsmanship.
The event slogan is Each Step Counts &ndash; a powerful reminder that meaningful progress is achieved one step at a time. 
This is true in every area of life, including for the athletes who will compete in Beijing next year. Every step they take &ndash; in training, competition or recovery &ndash; will form part of their journey and bring them closer to achieving their goals.
Transcending languages and cultures, the slogan conveys a universal message of warmth and determination that every wholehearted effort is meaningful on the journey towards excellence.
During the one-year countdown event held in the Golden Hall of the National Stadium on Thursday (10), Minister and Party Secretary of the General Administration of Sport of China Gao Zhidan, Vice Minister and Party Leadership Group Member of the General Administration of Sport of China Tong Lixin and Vice Mayor of Beijing Sima Hong were joined by Chinese shot put star Gong Lijiao to push the launch button to light up a 2.7-metre-tall countdown device.
The countdown event included a video message from World Athletics President Sebastian Coe who looked ahead to the 2027 championships and reflected on the many highlights from the 2015 edition.
&ldquo;I would like to thank the local organising committee and the Chinese Athletics Association for all the work you have put in so far,&rdquo; said Coe. &ldquo;I have no doubt that you will deliver a championships to the highest standard and provide an unforgettable experience for the entire athletics family.&rdquo;
More than 2000 athletes from some 200 member federations are expected to compete during the 10 days of world-class competition next September.

World Athletics Championships, Beijing 2027

Competition dates confirmed as 10-19 September 2027

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

Semifinals:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 18:44 Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 20:49
Contenders: Gabby Thomas (USA) 🏅 Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) 🌍 Amy Hunt (GBR) Anavia Battle (USA) Kayla White (USA) Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) Cambrea Sturgis (USA) Fabienne Hoenke (SUI) Ashanti Moore (JAM) Torrie Lewis (AUS) Ja&euml;l Bestu&eacute; (ESP) Jenna Prandini (USA) Success Eduan (GBR) Rhasidat Adeleke (IRL) G&eacute;mima Joseph (FRA) Lavanya Williams (JAM) Bogl&aacute;rka Tak&aacute;cs (HUN)
World lead: 21.51 Julien Alfred (LCA) Monaco, 10 Jul <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/sprints/200-metres/outdoor/women/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/200m/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 21.34 Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) Seoul, 29 Sep 1988 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/sprints/200-metres/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/2275?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>World champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden starts with the fastest time of the field &ndash; 21.69</li>
<li>Olympic champion Gabby Thomas races back on the track where she got 2023 world silver</li>
<li>Global medallists Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Amy Hunt among contenders</li>
</ul>
The clash to become the women&rsquo;s 200m Ultimate Champion is led by the Olympic champion and the world champion as Gabby Thomas takes on her US compatriot Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
Thomas clinched the Olympic crown in Paris two years ago while Jefferson-Wooden won the world title as part of a gold medal treble in Tokyo last year and now they race for a brand-new prize. The women&rsquo;s 200m is the last final on the track in Budapest, closing an intense three-evening programme, and it&rsquo;s a clash worth waiting for.
Jefferson-Wooden has the fastest time of the field this year thanks to the 21.69 she ran to win the US title in New York in July &ndash; just 0.01 off the PB she set to win her world title in Tokyo. That puts her second on the season top list behind world leader Julien Alfred, who has opted to focus on the 100m in Budapest, while Jefferson-Wooden is among the athletes entered for a sprint double.&nbsp;
Thomas, meanwhile, ran 21.70 in College Station in June and 21.83 to win at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Budapest the following month &ndash; at the same venue that will host the Ultimate Championship, where she claimed world silver in 2023. She was runner-up to Alfred at the London Diamond League and the Ultimate will be her first 200m since then.
US sprinters fill five of the leading seven places on the entry list when it comes to world rankings, Thomas and Jefferson-Wooden joined towards the top by Anavia Battle, Kayla White and Cambrea Sturgis. White has run 21.92 this year and she won the Lausanne Diamond League and was second in the Diamond League Final, while Battle was fourth and Sturgis was fifth in Brussels.
They were split there by Great Britain&rsquo;s world silver medallist Amy Hunt who is also entered for an Ultimate 100m and 200m double at the end of a season in which she clinched four European titles. She went on to finish second in the 100m and third in the 200m at the Diamond League Final.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo adds further star quality to the field. The two-time Olympic 400m champion has finished in the top four in each of the Diamond League races she has contested this season, getting second place in Shanghai and Xiamen, clocking 22.04 in the latter, and third in London behind Alfred and Thomas.
By the time of the women&rsquo;s 200m, there will only be one remaining crown to be claimed. All eyes will be on the track to see how it plays out.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the women's 200m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: women's 200m

Semifinals:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 18:18 Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 20:38
Contenders: Letsile Tebogo (BOT) 🏅 Kenneth Bednarek (USA) 💎 Sinesipho Dambile (RSA) Bryan Levell (JAM) Makanakaishe Charamba (ZIM) Alexander Ogando (DOM) Andre De Grasse (CAN) Jos&eacute; Figueroa (PUR) Yassine Hssine (MAR) Aaron Brown (CAN) Courtney Lindsey (USA) Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike (NGR) Christopher Taylor (JAM) Timoth&eacute; Mumenthaler (SUI) Brandon Hicklin (USA) Kyree King (USA)
World lead: 19.62 Kenneth Bednarek (USA) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/sprints/200-metres/outdoor/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/200m/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 19.19 Usain Bolt (JAM) Berlin, 20 Aug 2009 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/sprints/200-metres/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/13243?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>World leader Kenneth Bednarek arrives fresh from winning his third Diamond League title, clocking 19.62 in both Zurich and Brussels</li>
<li>Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo returns to the Budapest track where he won two world medals in 2023</li>
<li>Fourteen of the 16 men in the Ultimate field have broken 20 seconds during their careers</li>
</ul>
Kenneth Bednarek could hardly arrive at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in better form.
The two-time Olympic silver medallist equalled his world-leading 19.62 in Brussels last weekend to claim his third Diamond League title, having first clocked that time in Zurich nine days earlier.
But standing between Bednarek and the Ultimate crown is the man who beat him to Olympic gold in Paris. Letsile Tebogo produced an African record of 19.46 for that victory and has run 19.84 this season, winning the Diamond League meeting in Oslo.
Sinesipho Dambile has been faster in 2026. The South African stormed to a lifetime best of 19.74 in Doha in June and followed it by winning Commonwealth gold in Glasgow in 19.96. He was also second to Bednarek at the Diamond League Final.
Bryan Levell brings major championship pedigree of his own. The Jamaican claimed world bronze in Tokyo last year with a PB of 19.64, finishing immediately behind Bednarek and ahead of Tebogo. Alexander Ogando and Dambile also reached that world final.
The depth extends much further. Makanakaishe Charamba has run 19.88 this year, while Jos&eacute; Figueroa lowered the Puerto Rican record to 19.76. Former Olympic champion Andre De Grasse has returned to sub-19.85 form, winning in Gaborone in April in 19.84.
Reigning world champion Noah Lyles had been due to add another dimension to the contest but has ended his season after the hamstring injury he sustained at the US Championships. He will nevertheless be in Budapest as an Ultimate Star, serving as Ultimate MC and Creative Adviser for the championship.
His withdrawal does little to diminish the depth of the race. Fourteen of the 16 entrants own sub-20-second bests and, with only the top four from each semifinal advancing, even reaching the final will require near-perfect execution.
Bednarek has the fastest time and freshest form, Tebogo has the Olympic title, and Dambile and Levell have repeatedly proved they can challenge the very best. The final men's individual sprint title of the Ultimate looks anything but straightforward.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the men's 200m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: men's 200m

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 20:12
Contenders: Cole Hocker (USA) 🏅 Isaac Nader (POR) 🌍 Cameron Myers (AUS) 💎 Josh Kerr (GBR) Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) Yared Nuguse (USA) Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) Azeddine Habz (FRA) Jake Wightman (GBR) Hobbs Kessler (USA) Ethan Strand (USA) Robert Farken (GER) Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech (KEN)
World lead: 3:27.62 Josh Kerr (GBR) London, 18 Jul <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/middlelong/1500-metres/outdoor/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/1500m/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) Rome, 14 Jul 1998 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/1500-metres/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/1206?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen receive exceptional invitations, setting up epic clash</li>
<li>Cole Hocker and Isaac Nader go on the hunt for more global honours</li>
<li>Cameron Myers seeks more success after Diamond League title win</li>
</ul>
Such is the strength of the men&rsquo;s 1500m right now, exceptional invitations were extended to ensure the competition in Budapest really will be an ultimate clash.
As a result, Great Britain&rsquo;s 2023 world champion Josh Kerr and Norway&rsquo;s multiple Olympic and world gold medallist Jakob Ingebrigtsen are entered as part of a field that already featured USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Cole Hocker and Portugal&rsquo;s world champion Isaac Nader as well as a whole host of other strong contenders.
Despite not having raced a 1500m yet this year, Kerr holds the world lead of 3:27.62 &ndash; a time he set on his way to a mile world record of 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League. That race had been his focus for the season, but now his sights are on adding another title to his collection. It was in Budapest three years ago that Kerr secured his first global gold &ndash; ahead of Ingebrigtsen.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve made some choices this season that have created plenty of noise, but I&rsquo;ve always wanted to prove myself in the biggest races, against the best in the world,&rdquo; said Kerr, who went on to win the mile at the Commonwealth Games on home soil in Glasgow.
Ingebrigtsen already had an automatic invitation for the 5000m at the Ultimate Championship as the reigning Olympic champion. Should he decide to contest both the 1500m and 5000m in Budapest, he would clash with Kerr over 1500m for the first time since the Zurich Diamond League in 2024 when Ingebrigtsen was second and Kerr fifth.
Making his comeback after achilles surgery, Ingebrigtsen opened his season in August and won his fourth successive European 5000m title. He has raced the 1500m three times since then, securing two fourth-place finishes and one fifth place on the Diamond League circuit.
It was Australia&rsquo;s Cameron Myers who ended the Diamond League season on a high as he stormed to the overall title at the final in Brussels. The 20-year-old also ran an Oceanian record of 3:28.00 in Paris, won the mile during the Diamond League in Eugene and was runner-up to Kerr in the Commonwealth Games mile.
Second place in the Diamond League final was secured by Kenya&rsquo;s Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech, who was also runner up in Silesia and Zurich, while USA&rsquo;s Ethan Strand was third in Brussels ahead of Ingebrigtsen. They all clash again in Budapest.
Hocker won his Olympic title ahead of Kerr and Yared Nuguse and, like Ingebrigtsen, is entered for a 1500m and 5000m double in Budapest. Hocker won the Zurich Diamond League ahead of Koech and Nuguse, and was seventh at the final in Brussels.
Nuguse, who ran a 3:29.36 split during the London mile, also competes along with Nader, who won the 2025 world title ahead of 2022 world champion Jake Wightman &ndash; another rivalry that will be renewed in Budapest. With one straight final featuring 13 athletes, competition will be fierce.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the men's 1500m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: men's 1500m

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 19:53
Contenders: United States (USA) 🌍 Netherlands (NED) 🏅 Jamaica (JAM) Norway (NOR) Great Britain &amp; NI (GBR) Kenya (KEN) Italy (ITA) Belgium (BEL) Hungary (HUN)
World lead: 3:07.47 United States, Gaborone, 3 May <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/relays/4x400-metres-relay/all/mixed/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-relays/world-athletics-relays-7216920/results/mixed/4x400-metres-relay/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Relays final results</a>
World record: 3:07.41 United States (Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown), Paris, 2 Aug 2024 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/relays/4x400-metres-relay/all/mixed/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/20550?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>World champions USA came within 0.06 of their own world record when winning the World Relays in 3:07.47</li>
<li>Jamaica moved to fourth on the world all-time list with their 3:08.24 national record in Gaborone</li>
<li>Olympic champions Netherlands and European champions Norway add further strength to a deep nine-team final</li>
</ul>
The United States have repeatedly set the standard in the mixed 4x400m, and they arrive in Budapest having come tantalisingly close to rewriting the record books once again.
The world champions dominated the World Relays final in Gaborone in May, Bryce Deadmon, Paris Peoples, Jenoah McKiver and Bailey Lear combining for 3:07.47. It was a championship record and just 0.06 shy of the world record the USA set at the Paris Olympics two years ago.
Jamaica produced an equally significant performance behind them. Their 3:08.24 national record moved them to fourth on the world all-time list and established them as one of the leading threats heading into Budapest.
The World Relays provided the main qualification route for the Ultimate, with the first six teams in Gaborone earning automatic invitations before further places were decided through the top lists. Host nation Hungary joins the field through an exceptional invitation.
But the strongest challenge to the two Gaborone front-runners may come from teams with considerably more championship pedigree.
Netherlands are the Olympic champions. Femke Broeders-Bol produced a remarkable anchor leg to overhaul the USA in Paris, with the Dutch clocking a European record of 3:07.43 &ndash; just 0.02 outside the world record. They then finished second to the USA at last year's World Championships in Tokyo.
Great Britain &amp; NI took Olympic bronze in Paris with 3:08.01 and have remained among the world's leading nations, while Norway have emerged as a major force this season. Karsten Warholm and Henriette J&aelig;ger helped them to European gold in Birmingham last month in a national record of 3:09.62, ahead of Britain and Netherlands.
Belgium also possess recent global pedigree, having taken world bronze outdoors in Tokyo before winning the mixed 4x400m short track title at the World Indoor Championships earlier this year.
Kenya and Italy both earned their Ultimate places through strong World Relays performances, while hosts Hungary complete a final in which team selection could prove every bit as important as individual form.
With no heats and no second chances, the first Ultimate mixed 4x400m title will come down to one race &ndash; and recent history suggests the world record could again be within reach.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion

A pre-competition look at the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: mixed 4x400m

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

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

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