The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship concluded in Budapest on Sunday (13) after three days of high-quality competition, sold-out sessions and a positive response from athletes, fans and media both inside the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre and around the world.
Bringing together many of the world&rsquo;s leading athletes in a compact, high-stakes championship format, the Ultimate Championship delivered a series of memorable head-to-head contests as 28 Ultimate champions were crowned.
The championship was also conceived as a platform for innovation, trialling new competition formats, technology, event presentation and ways for athletes to engage with fans. Early feedback from spectators, athletes and broadcasters has been highly encouraging.
All three sessions were sold out, 61,671 spectators attending across the three evenings of action.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the response to the Ultimate Championship had demonstrated the potential of the concept.
&ldquo;It has always been my mantra that athletes must be front and centre &ndash; this inaugural edition of the Ultimate Championship captured that unequivocally,&rdquo; said Coe.
&ldquo;This new global championship provided the platform, and our stars rose to the occasion, showcasing not only their athletics prowess as the best battled the best, but also their personalities, on and off the field of play.
&ldquo;The response we have received across key stakeholders has been positive and all feedback will help to make this event even bigger and better in future. We must also repeat our thanks to Budapest and the Hungarian government for their support. I am very grateful that the government and municipal authorities have stepped up and delivered an incredible event which was watched by full crowds and audiences across the globe.&rdquo;
<h3>The best against the best</h3>
A total of 352 athletes from 65 member federations participated in the Ultimate Championship, with Olympic champions, world champions, Wanda Diamond League champions, world record-holders and the season&rsquo;s leading performers going head-to-head.
Athletes from 18 countries became Ultimate champions: Algeria, Botswana, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Germany, Great Britain &amp; N.I., Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and United States.
Among the standout moments were Melissa Jefferson-Wooden winning the women&rsquo;s sprint double with world-leading marks of 10.62 and 21.47, Kenny Bednarek completing the double in the men&rsquo;s 100m and 200m, Mondo Duplantis scaling 6.20m to win the men&rsquo;s pole vault, Collen Kebinatshipi producing the fifth-fastest performance in history to win the men&rsquo;s 400m in 43.39, world record-holder Masai Russell completing an undefeated season in the 100m hurdles with 12.22, and Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen winning the men&rsquo;s 1500m and 5000m respectively.
In total, 15 Hungarian all-comers&rsquo; records were set &ndash; a notable feat for a country that hosted a recent edition of the World Championships &ndash; and four world-leading marks were recorded.
Every athlete competing in Budapest went home with a share of the US$10million prize pot, with individual champions earning US$150,000.
<h3>Full stands and strong global TV and digital audiences</h3>
The new championship was met with strong demand in Budapest, with all three competition sessions reaching capacity. The event also reached audiences around the world through 48 rights-holding broadcasters representing more than 170 countries.
Interest in the Ultimate Championship was also reflected across World Athletics&rsquo; digital platforms. In just three evening sessions, more than half a million fans visited the World Athletics website, while the new World Athletics app generated huge enthusiasm as a second-screen companion to the live TV broadcast &ndash; combining modern short-form video and story-led content with gamification to create a more interactive and engaging way to experience athletics.
Over the course of the championship, the Ultimate as a subject got 1.8 billion impressions on social media. Across the Ultimate Championship and World Athletics social channels, Ultimate content generated around 400 million impressions (including video views).
<h3>Global media coverage</h3>
The inaugural championship attracted 337 members of accredited media. Across the event period, 14,600 articles and reports about the Ultimate Championship were published by media around the world, generating a potential reach of 29.3 billion.
The media programme began prior to competition with The Day Before, a new concept that replaced the traditional athlete press conference with a broader programme of athlete and media engagement, which was well received by athletes and media alike. Around 220 media members across all categories attended the red carpet and media opportunities, offering fans an early glimpse of the athletes ahead of competition. International news agencies were among those who attended, with photographers averaging 2000 images each on that day alone.
<h3>Innovation tested on and off the field</h3>
The Ultimate Championship was designed not only as a new competition but as an opportunity to test ideas that could help shape the future presentation of athletics.
Innovations included the athlete-led 200m lane draft, the reimagined field of play and event presentation, enhanced broadcast and data presentation, and interactive fan predictions and games through the World Athletics app.
The event marked the world premiere of Sony&rsquo;s virtual finish line concept, creating a completely new way to experience just how close &ndash; and extraordinary &ndash; elite athletics performances can be. The innovation triggered huge enthusiasm from fans and broadcasters.
World Athletics will review data and feedback from athletes, fans, broadcasters and other stakeholders to determine which concepts can be developed for future editions of the Ultimate Championship and potentially applied elsewhere in the sport.
<h3>Athletes at the heart of Ultimate</h3>
Athlete involvement extended beyond competition itself.
The Day Before brought close to 200 athletes and ambassadors together for a red carpet, dedicated media and content sessions, the aforementioned 200m lane draft and a Kids&rsquo; Athletics Ultimate Challenge.
The event&rsquo;s Ultimate Stars also played active roles in shaping the championship, putting athletes at the centre of the competition beyond their performances on the field of play. Mondo Duplantis wrote and recorded the official anthem, Noah Lyles was Ultimate MC and creative adviser, and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo were team captains for the Kids&rsquo; Athletics Ultimate Challenge.
The success of the inaugural edition gives World Athletics a strong platform from which to develop the Ultimate Championship in the years ahead.
World Athletics

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship concluded in Budapest on Sunday (13) after three days of high-quality competition, sold-out sessions and a positive response from athletes, fans and media

Sold-out sessions and strong fan response mark successful Ultimate Championship debut

In one of the most eagerly anticipated showdowns of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26, world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden got the better of Olympic champion Gabby Thomas in the 200m by taking victory in 21.47 &ndash; one of the fastest times in history.
Not only did the US athlete complete the Ultimate sprint double, having won the 100m 24 hours prior in a world-leading 10.62, she also elevated herself to third on the world all-time list in the 200m.
Ever since the lane draft on Thursday when Jefferson-Wooden opted for the lane right next to Thomas in the 200m semifinals, it had become one of the most talked-about clashes of the weekend.
Thomas won the semifinal in 21.88, pulling away from Jefferson-Wooden in the closing stages as the 100m winner finished second in 22.15. But in the final two hours later, it soon became apparent that Jefferson-Wooden had been saving her best effort for when it mattered most.
The double world champion powered out of the blocks and quickly made up the stagger on Thomas, reaching half way with a comfortable lead. Just when most onlookers expected Thomas to make her move, it was Jefferson-Wooden who had the superior second half. She extended her lead with each stride and charged through the line in 21.47.
Thomas still produced a strong run, crossing the line in 21.77, but she was a distant runner-up to her teammate, who could not believe her eyes as she glanced to the scoreboard.
Kayla White made it a US 1-2-3, taking third in 21.93. European champion Amy Hunt was fourth in a season&rsquo;s best of 22.10.
&ldquo;I did not see 21.47 coming tonight!&rdquo; said a stunned Jefferson-Wooden. &ldquo;I told myself that I need to be smart in the semi-final and save some energy. I knew when I came out of the curve in the semifinal, it would be just enough to qualify for the final.
&ldquo;I never thought that people like Usain Bolt would watch my races and even have great reactions to my performances. He said to me earlier this week how proud he is of me for making it seem so easy.
&ldquo;I told my husband that whatever happens tonight, it will happen because of him,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;That's what the scream was for when I crossed the finish line. I was thinking I could run this fast in maybe two years but not tonight. I really have no words.&rdquo;
Thomas said she enjoyed the competition, despite it not being the outcome she had hoped for.
&ldquo;It was a very competitive race,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;To be disappointed with a second-place finish on the global stage shows how far I have come. I liked this Ultimate from the beginning &ndash; the lane draft was a lot of fun. I think in the future whoever is ranked first should either get to pick what order they are in and I also think that first place in the semi-finals should get to pick the lane draw in the final.&rdquo;
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Coverage of the women's 200m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Jefferson-Wooden dashes to 21.47 Ultimate 200m victory in Budapest

Twenty-four hours after winning the 100m title, Kenny Bednarek completed the sprint double by claiming the 200m crown in a world-leading 19.52 (-0.1m/s) at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 on Sunday (13).
Speaking at the end of his four-race campaign in the Hungarian capital, the US 27-year-old said 2026 was the year in which he focused on making progress. He proved it on Sunday, scorching to a PB to win clear ahead of Botswana&rsquo;s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and his US compatriot Courtney Lindsey.
The performance moved Bednarek to seventh on the world all-time list, two places behind Tebogo who ran 19.46 when winning his Olympic title in Paris two years ago.
Bednarek was second that day &ndash; and on the day of the 2021 Olympic 200m final and during the world 200m finals in 2022 and 2025. But after those four silver medals, he won his first individual global title in Budapest on Saturday.
The next one came quickly.
Showing no signs of tiredness after two rounds of the 100m the day before and a 200m semifinal earlier on Sunday, Bednarek led the final at the half way stage and continued to pull away, leaving Tebogo to chase him over the finish line in 19.76 &ndash; a season&rsquo;s best. Lindsey also achieved his fastest race of the year, clocking 19.79 to finish third ahead of South Africa&rsquo;s Sinesipho Dambile and Canada&rsquo;s Andre De Grasse as the top five dipped under 20 seconds.
Bednarek had cruised through the semifinals a couple of hours earlier, winning the first race in 19.86 despite easing as he reached the finish line, glancing at Lindsey who was second in 19.89. Tebogo was third in that semifinal in 19.96. Dambile and De Grasse also looked at each other as they secured the top two spots in the second semifinal &ndash; Dambile winning in 19.80 ahead of De Grasse who eased over the line in 19.87.
&ldquo;Oh my God, it has been a crazy few days,&rdquo; said Bednarek, who earned US$150,000 for each of his two wins in Budapest. &ldquo;I am just happy to be here and performance-wise I give myself an A+ because of the couple of things I have been working on &ndash; I put them together today and earlier in the week.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This whole event has been very nice. On the red carpet I managed to show a bit of my personality, which is different as I'm usually a more quiet type of person. I loved the lane draw and think we should do it more often. This is a phenomenal event and I'm happy that it is showing our sport in a different light.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This was the year where I focused on making progress. I need to look back at what I did overall, but I believe I did well. Coming home with two wins in Budapest is amazing.&rdquo;
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Twenty-four hours after winning the 100m title, Kenny Bednarek completed the sprint double by claiming the 200m crown in a world-leading 19.52 at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Bednarek completes Ultimate sprint double with 200m win in Budapest

Gianmarco Tamberi competed with &lsquo;showtime babe&rsquo; written on his inner forearm and that proved to be a premonition as he cleared a world lead of 2.37m to secure the high jump crown in style at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday (13).
The Italian 34-year-old won the world title in Budapest in 2023 and he put on quite the show on his return to the Hungarian capital, achieving his best performance in more than two years to beat USA's JuVaughn Harrison who cleared 2.30m and Mexico's Erick Portillo who was third on countback (2.26m).
&ldquo;It was already predicted &ndash; showtime, you know!&rdquo; said Tamberi, pointing to his arm during his trackside interview.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not thanks to me, it&rsquo;s thanks to the people who are there,&rdquo; he added, turning to the crowd. &ldquo;My friends, my family &ndash; all the people here who support me. You were crazy, guys. You pushed me over my limits.&rdquo;
Tamberi has endured a series of injury struggles over the past few years but he opened his season in July before winning his fourth European title in August.
He then received an exceptional invite to compete at the Ultimate Championship and focused on making the most of the opportunity.
He opened his competition at 2.22m and cleared that and 2.26m on his first attempts. He needed two tries to make it over 2.30m and only he and Harrison, the world silver medallist behind Tamberi in Budapest three years ago, remained in the competition as the 27-year-old managed it on his third go.
Then things got tactical.
Tamberi asked for quiet as he attempted 2.33m, raising his inscribed arm before starting his run up. He soared clear on that first try at the height, jumping straight back up and striding away from the mat.
Harrison had one failed attempt and decided to pass as the bar moved to 2.35m. The music was back for Tamberi&rsquo;s first attempt at the new height and the crowd obeyed as he asked for them to join him in a rhythmic clap. That strategy worked, too, and he again flew clear at the first time of asking.
Harrison passed again and the next height was 2.37m. Tamberi made it on his second try while Harrison failed once and used his final attempt at 2.39m &ndash; Tamberi securing the win when the US athlete knocked off the bar a final time.
With the high jump in the spotlight, Tamberi closed his campaign by taking three attempts at 2.41m.
&ldquo;It was an amazing night,&rdquo; said Tamberi. &ldquo;I came here with great memories from the World Championships in 2023 so I was looking forward to competing here knowing that it is an amazing place to jump.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I started the season probably 14th in the world rankings, so this really was a comeback. My career was very tough because, if I look at the ups and downs, I cannot even say which one was the most difficult to come back from. After I was not able to get to the final in Tokyo last year, people started to say that it's my time to retire &ndash; it was difficult to hear and to struggle against all these feelings. Finally, I'm here with 2.37m. Now I can say to everyone: &lsquo;Never stop believing in your dreams, never put a limit on yourself&rsquo;.&rdquo;
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Gianmarco Tamberi competed with ‘showtime babe’ written on his inner forearm and that proved to be a premonition

Tamberi puts on a show to win Ultimate high jump in Budapest

One leap was all it took for Saly Sarr to secure the triple jump title at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday (13), but only just.
In a clash that brought together all four athletes to have surpassed 15 metres in 2026, Sarr &ndash; the Diamond League champion &ndash; opened with 15.06m and while Davisleydi Velazco threatened that mark in the third round, her 15.04m just wasn&rsquo;t quite enough.
After that strong start, no one went farther, and so Senegal&rsquo;s Sarr secured the title ahead of Velazco and her Cuban compatriot Leyanis P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez, the world champion who placed third on 14.90m.
Sarr lined up in Budapest looking to maintain momentum after joining the 15-metre club with 15.08m during the Diamond League meeting in Silesia and then winning the Diamond League title in Brussels.
And she showed her intent from the start, leaping beyond 15 metres again to add the inaugural Ultimate crown to her Diamond Trophy and world indoor bronze medal from Toruń in March.
She backed up her winning leap with 14.92m in the third round and 14.83m in the fourth round, then faced a nervous wait to see if her rivals could respond.
Velazco was next up and jumped 14.44m in the final round, while P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez passed her final go, later explaining how she felt her hamstring tighten and decided it was better to stop than risk a rupture.
Dominica&rsquo;s Olympic champion Thea LaFond, who achieved the best performance in the world for almost four years when she leapt 15.25m in Zagreb in June &ndash; a mark that moved her to joint ninth on the world all-time list &ndash; was the last to jump. But as she landed at 14.09m, Sarr was confirmed as the champion, LaFond finishing fourth with her best of 14.47m from the third round.
"It really means a lot to win and become the Ultimate champion," said Sarr. "I am really happy, really emotional and truly satisfied.
"We will keep working, keep winning and prepare ourselves for other goals in the future. There's no holidays, it's just back to work."
Velazco said: "This was a very important competition, an event where the conditions were created for us to produce results like this. It has been a very demanding year for me as I have been working outside of sport in another job while also training, so this result is extremely important to me."
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

One leap was all it took for Saly Sarr to secure the triple jump title at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday (13), but only just.

Sarr soars to Ultimate triple jump title in Budapest

Back at the scene of his first global title, Britain&rsquo;s Josh Kerr again delivered a masterclass in middle-distance running &ndash; the 28-year-old producing a foot-perfect performance to win the men&rsquo;s 1500m title at the World Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday (13).
Kerr bided his time until the final lap and then unleashed the same kind of burst that had carried him past Jakob Inbgebrigtsen to claim the 2023 world 1500m title in the Hungarian capital.
This time, his greatest rival was Australia&rsquo;s Cam Myers, who chased hard to the line but couldn&rsquo;t quite match Kerr&rsquo;s pace &ndash; the Briton clocking 3:29.35 ahead of Myers (3:29.68) with USA&rsquo;s Hobbs Kessler third in 3:30.73. Olympic champion Cole Hocker was next home in 3:30.74.
The early pace was relatively swift, Germany&rsquo;s Robert Farken taking them through 400m in 57.09 and 800m in 1:55.29. He was soon overtaken by USA&rsquo;s Yared Nuguse, who injected a big surge with 500m to run. Nuguse led through 1200m in 2:49.91 but by then Kerr &ndash; who&rsquo;d run most of the race buried in the pack &ndash; had navigated his way to exactly where he likes to be: on the shoulder of the leader with 300m to run.
Myers was tracking him and when the gears began to turn, he made a much better fight of it than he had in the Commonwealth Games final, but Kerr was just too strong, a 26.02-second last 200m handing him another global title to go with his 2023 outdoor 1500m crown and his two world indoor wins over 3000m.
&ldquo;I didn't race a lot this season so I kind of came here fresh and ready to go,&rdquo; said Kerr, who took 0.03 off his own Hungarian all-comers' record. &ldquo;Cameron is an awesome athlete, he was pushing a lot but I managed to look at the screen and see what the gap was.&rdquo;
Kerr gave the inaugural Ultimate Championship a stamp of approval. &ldquo;This sport has moved on in the past couple of years and I'm impressed where it is now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Anything that can move the sport in the right direction and do good for athletes, I support.&rdquo;
Myers had no regrets about his run. &ldquo;I ran the perfect race,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I thought with 200m to go that I was going to win and that is an exciting feeling. Josh was just too strong today and that shows why he is a world record-holder.&rdquo;
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

Coverage of the men's 1500m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Kerr kicks to Ultimate 1500m crown in Budapest

It seemed fitting that USA, the world champions and world record-holders, won the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26.
Although they had been beaten to the Olympic title in 2024, the USA have generally dominated the event in recent years. The sprints powerhouse had won the world titles in 2023 and 2025, they were victorious at this year&rsquo;s World Relays, and have set four world records in the discipline.
Returning to the scene of their 2023 world title, the US quartet won in 3:08.32, taking almost half a second off the Hungarian all-comers&rsquo; record they had set three years ago.
Chris Bailey got the team off to a strong start with a 44.73 lead leg before handing over to Alexis Holmes. She maintained their lead, but Lieke Klaver&rsquo;s 49.37 ensured the Netherlands were hot on their heels.
Jacory Patterson extended the USA&rsquo;s leading margin on the third leg before handing over to Aaliyah Butler.
Great Britain &amp; NI started to move into contention heading in the last leg. Charlotte Henrich closed in on the Netherlands and eventually caught Myrte van der Schoot with about 200 metres to go.
Butler, however, could not be caught, her 49.47 leg securing USA victory in 3:08.32. Great Britain took second place in 3:09.40, 0.17 ahead of the Dutch team.
Jamaica&rsquo;s Stacey Ann Williams (48.72) and Hungary&rsquo;s Attila Molnar (43.90) produced the fastest splits of the race, their teams finishing sixth and eighth respectively.
&ldquo;The atmosphere with this team was so good,&rdquo; said Holmes, who had anchored USA to victory at the 2023 World Championships in this same stadium. &ldquo;Whenever the USA puts a team together, they put together a group they trust, people with the character to go out there and make it happen, and that is what we had today.&rdquo;
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Coverage of the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

USA asserts relay dominance with Ultimate mixed 4x400m victory in Budapest

A well-timed finished gave Djamel Sedjati the advantage in the men&rsquo;s 800m final at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 as the Algerian won in 1:41.91.
The 27-year-old had finished in the top two in all of his 800m races before heading to the Hungarian capital; in two of those outings, he&rsquo;d got to the line first. In the other three, he had just run out of track and had to settle for the runner-up spot.
Tonight in Budapest, though, he executed his plan to perfection.
Canada&rsquo;s Marco Arop &ndash; who had won the world title in this stadium in 2023 &ndash; led from the early stages, passing through the first lap in 49.67 with world and Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi a stride or two behind.
Arop continued to hold the lead with 200 metres to go, but his momentum showed signs of stalling as the field entered the home straight.
Sedjati moved into the lead with about 25 metres to go and crossed the line in a Hungarian all-comers&rsquo; record of 1:41.91, winning his first global title after taking world silvers in 2022 and 2025, as well as Olympic bronze in 2024.
Arop held on for second in 1:42.28 and Wanyonyi took third in 1:42.44. In a high-quality race where the first seven athletes finished inside 1:43, USA&rsquo;s Brandon Miller placed fourth (1:42.54) and Francesco Pernici set an Italian record of 1:42.67 in fifth.
&ldquo;That was very tactical but also very fast, and I am really happy to have won this race today,&rdquo; said Sedjati. &ldquo;This is the first title for me so I'm incredibly happy and grateful to everyone who supported me.&rdquo;
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Coverage of the men's 800m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Sedjati scoops Ultimate title with 800m victory in Budapest

It&rsquo;s become exceptionally rare in the modern era to see a major 5000m final boil down to anything but a last-lap burn-up, but at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday (13), Ethiopia&rsquo;s Likina Amebaw tore up that script in superb, scintillating fashion.
Soon after 3000m was reached in a steady 8:51.70, Amebaw launched an attack that carried her clear of the field, her 2:46 kilometre building a lead that grew to almost six seconds as she reached 4000m in 11:38.45.
With a lap to run, that lead was almost nine seconds, her compatriot Freweyni Hailu taking up the chase along with Jessica Hull of Australia, but by then it was too little, too late.
Amebaw hit the line in a Hungarian all-comers' record of 14:30.36, while Hull won the battle for second, setting a PB of 14:32.39, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Fantaye Belayneh taking third in 14:32.62.
Amebaw, who&rsquo;s been based in Spain for several years, has missed out on several potential major championship appearances while in the process of obtaining Spanish citizenship, but has now reverted to run for Ethiopia. With a blazing last 3000m of 8:28.00, she earned the Ultimate trophy and the top prize of $150,000.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy to become the ultimate champion,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I was thinking I do not have too much of a sprint, so I was thinking halfway through the race that I've got to push.&rdquo;
Hull was pleased with her performance, putting her ninth-place finish in the previous night&rsquo;s 1500m firmly behind her.
&ldquo;Me and my team wanted to give me the chance to run the 5000m but we didn't know how it was going to go,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I just trusted that the rail would open up, so I was trying to keep calm. I chatted to my teammate last week, who won the Diamond League final on the rail and I just repeated to myself: &lsquo;Trust! It's going to be open.&rsquo; That is one of the coolest experiences.&rdquo;
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

Coverage of the women's 5000m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Amebaw dominates to clinch Ultimate 5000m crown in Budapest

Rumesh Pathirage capped a stunning breakthrough season to win the men&rsquo;s javelin at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 on Sunday (13).
The Sri Lankan has been the dominant force in the discipline this year, winning 11 of his 12 competitions before heading to Budapest. Prior to winning the Diamond League Final, he had thrown a world-leading 92.62m in Rome and backed it up with a 92.07m victory in Zurich.
The pre-competition favourite got off to an inauspicious start in Budapest, though, opening with 75.89m. European champion Julian Weber impressed with his first throw, which landed comfortably beyond the 80-metre line and was measured at 84.09m.
The German extended his lead to 85.89m in round two, but it didn&rsquo;t last long, though, as two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada responded with 86.18m. Pathirage came to life in that round, too, throwing 85.69m.
The Sri Lankan improved again in the third round, sending his spear out to 87.11m to take the lead. Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem threw a season&rsquo;s best of 81.49m in that round, but it was only enough for fifth place, meaning he didn&rsquo;t qualify for the fourth and final round.
Pathirage was first to throw in the final round and his javelin soared out to 91.09m &ndash; the first 90-metre throw ever achieved in Hungary. Peters ended his series with 82.63m and Weber threw 78.75m, meaning Pathirage&rsquo;s victory was secured.
&ldquo;This was my one and only goal &ndash; to bring the trophy back to Sri Lanka,&rdquo; said Pathirage. &ldquo;I faced a lot of challenges today but I was still hoping to win and I'm proud I did it. I was never thinking about the prize money and I don't have any idea yet how I will spend it. Sri Lankan athletes have won two Olympic medals so far and my next goal is to bring the Olympic gold medal home.&rdquo;
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Coverage of the men's javelin at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Pathirage delivers with Ultimate javelin victory in Budapest

The world record-holder became the Ultimate champion as Alison dos Santos won a sensational 400m hurdles clash at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 on Sunday (13).
Clocking 45.98, the Brazilian 26-year-old achieved the third-fastest performance of all time after striding away from USA&rsquo;s world and Olympic champion Rai Benjamin on approach to the final barrier.
Benjamin secured his second Ultimate Championship runner-up spot, completing his 400m and 400m hurdles double by clocking 46.40 in only his third hurdles race of the season.
Norway&rsquo;s former world record-holder Karsten Warholm clinched third place in 46.78 ahead of Emil Agyekum in a German record of 47.10.
In a battle between the three fastest 400m hurdlers of all time, Dos Santos was up against Benjamin and Warholm and they were evenly matched as they cleared the first couple of barriers.
Dos Santos and Benjamin had edged ahead by the third hurdle and from there it was a two-way fight.
They were shoulder to shoulder, Benjamin in lane six and Dos Santos in lane seven, as they reached the home straight, and then Dos Santos proved his power. He was a stride ahead when he got to the final hurdle and that barrier caused him no trouble, the 2022 world champion only increasing his advantage in the closing stages to cross the finish line clear ahead of his US rival.
The performance capped an incredible 2026 campaign for Dos Santos, who broke the world record when he clocked 45.80 during the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Zurich.
Only that run and Warholm&rsquo;s former world record of 45.94 set at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 are faster than the performance produced by Dos Santos to win the Ultimate crown.
&ldquo;I opened the (World Athletics) app and I saw a post on the main page saying I had something like a 95% chance of winning. I thought wow, that is pretty high, so I just wanted to go out there and run as fast as I could,&rdquo; said Dos Santos, who won the Diamond League title in Brussels eight days earlier. &ldquo;I knew there would be pressure.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When you are running on the Diamond League circuit, you are mostly concerned about your time &ndash; you think about running fast and staying focused on your lane but, at a championship, it is different. Running fast is important but winning is more important. I knew everybody would give their best and fight all the way to the line and I knew coming off the eighth hurdle into the final part of the race it was going to be a real battle.&rdquo;
It was a fourth race in three days for Benjamin, who contested the 400m semifinals on Friday, the 400m final and 400m hurdles semifinals on Saturday and then the 400m hurdles final on Sunday.
&ldquo;That was tough, but I had a lot of fun,&rdquo; said Benjamin. &ldquo;I just wanted to focus on winning today and I know Alison is in tough form right now and that he would be the one to go after. I had a good view of both him and Karsten &ndash; Karsten still ran fast, Alison ran super fast.&nbsp;
&ldquo;What we are doing is so important and so impressive that people sometimes take it for granted. Karsten led the way to the world record, Alison followed up on it, and this was an amazing performance from all three of us today.&rdquo;
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

The world record-holder became the Ultimate champion as Alison dos Santos won a sensational 400m hurdles clash at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Dos Santos wins epic 400m hurdles clash to become Ultimate champion in Budapest

After finishing just shy of the podium at the 2024 Olympics and one place short of the gold medal at the 2025 World Championships, Jasmine Jones landed the first major international title of her career by winning the 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26.
Going into this competition, Jones had won just one 400m hurdles race this year &ndash; a 52.91 run at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial, hosted at this very same stadium.
Jones had given a glimpse of her potential in yesterday&rsquo;s semifinals, running a season&rsquo;s best of 52.77. Today she showed she had more to give.
Diamond League champion Anna Cockrell led for the first half of the race with world bronze medallist Emma Zapletalova and Jones giving chase. But as the stagger finally unwound coming into the home straight, Jones carried the best momentum and edged into the lead.
Cockrell&rsquo;s pace started to fade, allowing European champion Zapletalova to move into second. But Jones could not be caught, and she went on to win in a season&rsquo;s best of 52.45.
Zapletalova held on to second place in 52.68 &ndash; her seventh sub-53-second run of the year. Cockrell finished third in 53.09, just 0.02 ahead of former world record-holder Dalilah Muhammad, who was contesting the final race of her career.
&ldquo;This is wild and I didn't see that coming,&rdquo; said Jones. &ldquo;Coming off Dalilah's last race, she inspired me so much growing up as a 400m hurdler. Having Dalilah and Emma, who has had such a breakout season, alongside me and competing with them in this brand new championship was so much fun.&rdquo;
Muhammad, meanwhile, reflected on her glittering career within moments of crossing the line.
&ldquo;It never really hits you until you finish your career and see what you have accomplished,&rdquo; said the 2016 Olympic and 2019 world champion. &ldquo;I had a really blessed career and I'm really grateful for it.&rdquo;
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Coverage of the women's 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

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