Seasoned Scandinavian campaigners Armand “Mondo” Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen shone on the opening day of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday. With unmatched prize money totalling $10m on offer over 28 disciplines, Duplantis and Ingebrigtsen walked away with $150,000 each for winning the men’s pole vault and 5,000 metres, respectively. Pitched as a season-ending championship to bring together the best of the best, including 26 Olympic champions from the 2024 Paris Games, 26 world champions from Tokyo last year and 25 Diamond League winners from the 2026 season, the opening eight finals more than lived up to the hype.
United States-born Swede Duplantis cleared 6.20 metres for victory ahead of Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis, while Norway’s Ingebrigtsen continued his comeback from injury with a stunning win in the 5,000 metres in 12:59.24, just the second time in his career he has gone sub-13 minutes. It was a little bit chilly, but I had a great time,” said Duplantis. Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen, who will also race the 1,500 metres, produced a devastating sprint down the home straight for victory over world champion Cole Hocker of the US (13:00.05).
I have gained a lot from the races I’ve done in the last couple of weeks,” he said. Two of this season’s world record holders, Masai Russell and Ja’Kobe Tharp, duly won their short hurdles races. Russell, fresh from running a pace-setting 12.09s in Brussels, reeled in the 100-metre hurdles field after a sluggish start for victory in 12.22s ahead of Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, in 12.34s.
Russell’s US teammate Tharp, who set a world record of 12.75s in June, edged world champion Cordell Tinch by one-hundredth of a second for a 110-metre hurdles victory in 12.94s. The first title of the first night of action went to the United States in the 4×100-metre mixed relay, giving them a shared pot of $80,000. The quartet of Ronnie Baker, Anavia Battle, Courtney Lindsey and Kayla White clocked 39.64s ahead of world record holders Jamaica (39.72) and Britain (40.26), rounding out the podium.
Germany’s world silver medallist Merlin Hummel was the surprise winner of the men’s hammer throw, with the infield painted black. His best of 81.46 metres was enough to set himself up as a clear victor over Hungary’s European champion Bence Halasz (80.30). Olympic champion Mahuchikh cleared 1.99 metres for the win, while world champion Olyslagers could only manage 1.95 metres in the chilly conditions.
Italy’s Larissa Iapichino wrapped up the women’s long jump with a best of 6.90 metres.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
