Sweden's pole vault star headlined opening night of a new $10 million global athletics showpiece in Hungary.
The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 began on Friday, 11 September 2026, at the Gyula Zsivótzky National Athletics Centre in Budapest, with Armand "Mondo" Duplantis winning the men's pole vault as the sport's new season-ending event launched with a record $10 million prize pot, according to World Athletics and BBC Sport.
Duplantis Wins Pole Vault, Misses World Record
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Duplantis cleared 6.20m to claim the Ultimate title, maintaining a perfect scorecard before attempting 6.32m for a world record, which he narrowly missed, World Athletics reported. The win earned him $150,000, part of a prize structure paying $75,000 for second and $40,000 for third, with payouts extending to 16th place, BBC Sport and Reuters confirmed. Duplantis, a two-time Olympic champion with three world outdoor and four world indoor titles, was also named the championship's inaugural "Ultimate Star," a role linking athletics to music and entertainment. He wrote and performed the official anthem "Gold," released in August 2026, which played in the stadium as he competed before a sold-out crowd of more than 20,000, BBC Sport reported.
Record Prize Fund and Championship Format
The three-day event, running through 13 September, features 28 events across 381 athletes from 65 federations, World Athletics confirmed. Sprints and hurdles use two eight-athlete semifinals with the top four advancing to finals, while the 1500m, 5000m, field events and mixed relays are straight finals. Winning relay teams share $80,000. Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt told Reuters on 10 September that he "marvels" at the prize money and would have prioritized such an event in his own career, calling the payouts unprecedented for the sport.
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Ingebrigtsen Claims 5000m in Comeback Statement
Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the men's 5000m in 12:59.24, his fastest time in five years, timing his finishing kick off the final bend to beat world champion Cole Hocker, who clocked 13:00.05, World Athletics reported. American Parker Wolfe finished third in 13:00.13. The New York Times and Gulf Times framed the victory as part of Ingebrigtsen's broader comeback arc following recent injury setbacks. Budapest, which hosted the 2023 World Championships, was selected to host the inaugural Ultimate Championship, which World Athletics has positioned as the first in a continuing series of season-ending global meets.
