*** As American Russell beat Amusan to the tape to claim the ultimate prize in 100m hurdles
Swedish star Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.20 m to add another pole vault title to his remarkable collection at the opening day of the Inaugural World Athletics Ultimate championship 2026 on Friday, 11 September, at the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Center in Budapest.
Vaulting to the sounds of his own song Gold, the Ultimate Anthem which he wrote and recorded, Duplantis achieved a perfect score card up to his winning height and went on to attempt a world record of 6.32 which was not to be on a chilly Friday evening. If achieved that would have been his 16th world record.
The 26 – year – old secured the title – adding the inaugural Ultimate crown to his two Olympics titles, three world gold medals and four world indoor wins.
Recent Diamond League champions Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis cleared 6.15 m finished second ahead of Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen placed third with a clearance of 5.95 m on a countback as he cleared the same height as Kurtis Manseharl and Zach Bradford, making it the second competition in history and first outdoors, in which five athletes cleared 5.95 m or higher.
It was a battle royale in the Women’s 100 m between two rivals, as American Masai Russell capped a sensation season winning the inaugural 100 m hurdles at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest and did so in style chasing her rivals, she strode into lead with only couple of barriers between her and victory, reaching the finish line in 12.22 winning the race ahead of Nigeria’s former world record holder Tobi Amusan who clocked 12.34 who placed second and in third position was European champion Nadine Visser with a time of 12.37.
It was Russell’s 14th win of the season and the ninth race under 12.30 this season and achieved it in a joint seventh fastest time of her career – a time that only five other athletes in history have ever surpassed.
Russell the Us Olympic and Diamond League Champion broke her own world record with a time of 12.09 in Zurich at the end of August this year.
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 in Budapest.
The Olympic champion only had one failure up to winning height of 1.99 m and she went on to take three attempts at 2.04 m – a mark that would have added a centimeter to her world lead.
Reigning Olympic and world champions, Australian’s Nicola Olyslagers finished second with a leap of 1.95 while Recent Diamond League champion Australian Eleanor Patterson and Serbia’s world bronze medallist Angela Topic placed joint third both cleared 1.91 m.
The United States made history in the 4 x 100m taking the inaugural title with a time of 39.64 a national record and the second fastest time in history.
Jamaica finished second in a time of 39.72 while European champions Great Britain and N I came third with a time of 40.26 .
Athletes qualify for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship by receiving personal invitations based on automatic champions status, world rankings or special exceptions, as there are no standard qualifying marks.
Automatic Invitations are Awarded to gold medalists from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the World Athletics championships Tokyo 25, as well as winners of the 2026 Diamond League Final.
Gold medalists went home with $150,000 and the Silver medalists received $75,000.
