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

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

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

Ultimate preview: men's 800m

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 19:34
Contenders: Thea LaFond (DMA) 🏅 Leyanis P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez (CUB) 🌍 Saly Sarr (SEN) 💎 Davisleydi Velazco (CUB) Liadagmis Povea (CUB) Dariya Derkach (ITA) Ackelia Smith (JAM) Gabriele Santos (BRA)
World lead: 15.25m Thea LaFond (DMA) Zagreb, 26 June <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/jumps/triple-jump/outdoor/women/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/triple-jump/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 15.74m Yulimar Rojas (VEN) Belgrade, 20 March 2022 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/jumps/triple-jump/all/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/5352?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Thea LaFond heads to Budapest as the world leader after soaring 15.25m in June</li>
<li>Saly Sarr looks to maintain momentum after Diamond League title win</li>
<li>World champion Leyanis P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez returns to the scene of her first global medal win</li>
</ul>
The Olympic champion, world champion and Diamond League champion all clash in the women&rsquo;s triple jump as Thea LaFond, Leyanis P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez and Saly Sarr look to take their 15-metre-plus form with them to the Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
LaFond achieved the best performance in the world for almost four years when she leapt 15.25m in Zagreb in June. The mark moved her to joint ninth on the world all-time list, adding 23 centimetres to the Dominican record LaFond set when winning her Olympic title in 2024.
&ldquo;It was probably one of the easiest jumps of my life,&rdquo; she said in Zagreb. &ldquo;15.25m &ndash; just saying it sounds insane.&rdquo;
Three other athletes &ndash; Davisleydi Velazco, Sarr and P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez &ndash; have also surpassed 15 metres this season. Cuba&rsquo;s Velazco joined the 15-metre club in Doha, winning a Diamond League clash against her compatriot P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez. Velazco&rsquo;s 15.13m was a world lead at the time and it secured her second consecutive Diamond League victory after her win in Oslo.
That 15-metre club grew again in Silesia as Senegal&rsquo;s world indoor triple jump bronze medallist Sarr soared a national record of 15.08m and backed it up with a 15.00m leap to claim her first Diamond League win, turning the tables on P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez, Cuba&rsquo;s world champion who won in Monaco with a PB of 15.06m.
Sarr carried her consistency through to the end of the Diamond League season. After finishing in the top three in each of the series meetings in Oslo, Doha, Monaco and Silesia, she became the Diamond League champion at the final in Brussels, threatening 15 metres again with 14.96m to finish ahead of P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez and Velazco.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to be part of an exceptional generation of triple jumpers,&rdquo; Sarr said after her win in Brussels. &ldquo;Now I&rsquo;m looking forward to Budapest, where I also would like to take the win.&rdquo;
It was P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez who claimed the world indoor title in March and she has also finished in the top three in all her Diamond League contests this year. She will want to challenge again when she returns to Budapest &ndash; scene of her first global medal win in 2023 when she got World Championships bronze.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

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

Ultimate preview: women's triple jump

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 19:10
Contenders: Freweyni Hailu (ETH) 💎 Likina Amebaw (ETH) Senayet Getachew (ETH) Aleshign Baweke (ETH) Rose Davies (AUS) Fantaye Belayneh (ETH) Shelby Houlihan (USA) Hannah Nuttall (GBR) Jessica Hull (AUS) Maureen Koster (NED) Marta Garc&iacute;a (ESP) Hirut Meshesha (ETH)
World lead: 14:18.41 Likina Amebaw (ETH) Rome, 4 Jun <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/middlelong/5000-metres/outdoor/women/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/5000m/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 13:58.06 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) Eugene, 5 Jul 2025 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/5000-metres/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/3241?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Diamond League champion Freweyni Hailu arrives with the freshest form after leading an Ethiopian 1-2-3 in Brussels</li>
<li>World leader Likina Amebaw has run 14:18.41 this year, just 0.13 ahead of compatriot Aleshign Baweke</li>
<li>Six Ethiopian athletes feature in a 12-woman field that also includes Commonwealth champion Rose Davies and Olympic medallist Jessica Hull</li>
</ul>
Ethiopian athletes have dominated the women's 5000m in 2026, and Budapest could provide the ultimate test of that strength in depth.
Six Ethiopians line up in the 12-woman final, headed on the clock by Likina Amebaw. She produced a world-leading 14:18.41 in Rome in June, but there was barely daylight between her and her compatriots that night.
Aleshign Baweke finished just 0.13 behind in 14:18.54 and Freweyni Hailu followed in 14:18.94, with Senayet Getachew, Hirut Meshesha and Fantaye Belayneh also among the first seven home. Those performances leave six members of the Ultimate field among the seven fastest women in the world this year.
But it is Hailu who arrives with the most recent victory to her name. The former world indoor 1500m champion produced the decisive move at the Diamond League Final in Brussels last weekend to win in 14:35.20 and claim her first Diamond Trophy over the longer distance.
Amebaw followed in 14:36.31 and Getachew completed an Ethiopian sweep of the top three in 14:37.09, with Australia's Rose Davies and Meshesha close behind.
Davies has already shown her championship credentials this summer. She won the Commonwealth title in Glasgow in 14:44.53, edging compatriot Jessica Hull by less than half a second. Hull, the Olympic 1500m silver medallist, adds considerable finishing speed to a race that could become tactical.
Shelby Houlihan also knows how to contend at the highest level, having finished fourth in the 5000m at last year's World Championships in Tokyo. Marta Garc&iacute;a, Hannah Nuttall, Belayneh and Davies all placed inside the top 10 in that final too.
European silver medallist Garc&iacute;a and experienced Dutch runner Maureen Koster add further depth, but the numbers point strongly towards Ethiopia.
Whether the race becomes a test of outright endurance or a battle for position before a furious final lap, Hailu, Amebaw and their compatriots appear likely to dictate the terms.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the women's 5000m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: women's 5000m

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 19:04
Contenders: Mateusz Kołodziejski (POL) 💎 Oleh Doroshchuk (UKR) Jan &Scaron;tefela (CZE) JuVaughn Harrison (USA) Tyus Wilson (USA) Erick Portillo (MEX) Romaine Beckford (JAM) Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA)
World lead: 2.34m JuVaughn Harrison (USA) Monaco, 5 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/jumps/high-jump/outdoor/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/high-jump/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 2.45m Javier Sotomayor (CUB) Salamanca, 27 Jul 93 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/jumps/high-jump/all/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/14926?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Mateusz Kołodziejski pulled off a late-season surprise to win the Diamond League Final in Brussels, booking a late spot in Budapest</li>
<li>JuVaughn Harrison boasts the world lead of 2.34m</li>
<li>Gianmarco Tamberi returns to the scene of his 2023 world title win</li>
</ul>
Mateusz Kołodziejski couldn&rsquo;t disguise his delight and surprise in winning the Diamond League high jump title in Brussels last week, which booked his spot at the Ultimate Championship.
The Pole produced a best clearance of 2.28m to edge out JuVaughn Harrison of the US, who boasts the world lead so far in 2026.
His clearance of 2.34m back in Monaco at the start of August remains the benchmark for the season with his peers and he has previous in Budapest. It was there three years ago that he equalled his personal best of 2.36m to take the silver medal behind Gianmarco Tamberi.
The Italian has been curtailed by injury for a lot of the time since then, but the 34-year-old appears to have broken off the shackles of his ailments with something of a renaissance.
The ever-popular athlete won the European Championships on his daughter&rsquo;s first birthday, with world indoor champion Oleh Doroshchuk having to make do with second, and it helped Tamberi earn an exceptional invitation to the Ultimate.
In recent times, the men&rsquo;s high jump has been dominated by Hamish Kerr but he is missing from the end-of-season finale. So too is Woo Sanghyeok, who was runner-up to the New Zealander in Tokyo last year.
Kerr, the Olympic and world champion, cleared 2.28m in Auckland in March but has not competed since. And Woo has faced his own challenges this season. He suffered plantar fascia damage when his spike broke while competing in Tokyo in May and subsequently did not compete for three months.&nbsp;
Ukraine&rsquo;s Doroshchuk took the early-season honours by winning at the World Indoor Championships in Toruń in March, and his season&rsquo;s best set on home soil in June is just one centimetre shy of Harrison&rsquo;s world lead. He also won at the Monaco Diamond League with 2.32m and shared third with Tamberi at the Diamond League Final.
Matt Majendie for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

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

Ultimate preview: men's high jump

Semifinals:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 19:57 Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 18:36
Contenders: Rai Benjamin (USA) 🏅 🌍 Alison dos Santos (BRA) 💎 Karsten Warholm (NOR) Ezekiel Nathaniel (NGR) Abderrahman Samba (QAT) Emil Agyekum (GER) Matheus Lima (BRA) Caleb Dean (USA) Trevor Bassitt (USA) Matic Ian Guček (SLO) İsmail Nezir (TUR) Yeral Nu&ntilde;ez (DOM) Bassem Hemeida (QAT) Oskar Edlund (SWE) Kemorena Tisang (BOT) Owe Fischer-Breiholz (GER)
World lead: 45.80 Alison dos Santos (BRA) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/400mh/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record:&nbsp;45.80 Alison dos Santos (BRA) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/14438?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>Alison dos Santos arrives in Budapest fresh off a world record and his Diamond League title win</li>
<li>Karsten Warholm seeks another Budapest victory after his 2023 world title win</li>
<li>Rai Benjamin has set his sights on a 400m and 400m hurdles double as the top three in history clash again</li>
</ul>
As pre-major championship statements go, they don&rsquo;t get much bigger than a world record. Brazil&rsquo;s Alison dos Santos stunned the world when he clocked 45.80 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Zurich at the end of last month, that performance taking 0.14 off the world 400m hurdles record set by Karsten Warholm in 2021.
And it was the manner in which he achieved it &ndash; making up the stagger on Warholm by half way and easing ahead, the 26-year-old making history as he hit the finish line.
Something very special could be coming at the Ultimate Championship, especially as the event will pit Dos Santos and Warholm against Rai Benjamin &ndash; the Olympic and world champion who is eyeing a 400m and 400m hurdles double in Budapest.
Dos Santos had already been in impressive form before his 45.80. The 2022 world champion held the world lead of 46.43 &ndash; then the sixth-fastest performance in history &ndash; which he set in Silesia and he had won all four of his clashes against Norway&rsquo;s three-time world champion Warholm in 2026 to that point. But his run in Zurich was on another level.
He closed his Diamond League campaign with another win &ndash; taking the series title in Brussels.
Warholm has certainly not been slacking, either. The Norwegian hurdles star, who set the former world record of 45.94 when winning his Olympic title in Tokyo, clocked 46.52 to finish behind Dos Santos in Silesia and he also won at the London Diamond League and European Championships &ndash; securing a record fourth successive continental men's 400m hurdles title.
He also knows how it feels to win in Budapest &ndash; the 30-year-old claimed the third of his world crowns in the Hungarian capital.
The event gives them the opportunity to renew their rivalry with Benjamin. The US 29-year-old switched his focus to the 400m flat for 2026 but in his sole hurdles appearance of the year so far he clocked 46.67 for a clear victory during a promotional event at the Lausanne Diamond League. It will be the first time these three athletes &ndash; the top three in history &ndash; will clash since last year&rsquo;s World Championships final.
Others looking to make an impact include&nbsp;Brazil&rsquo;s Matheus Lima and&nbsp;Qatar's Abderrahman Samba, the world bronze medallist behind Benjamin and Dos Santos in Tokyo, as well as world fourth-place finisher Ezekiel Nathaniel of Nigeria who won the Commonwealth Games title in Glasgow.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the men's 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: men's 400m hurdles

As an official global partner of the championship, Sony unlocks new storytelling experiences for athletics fans worldwide through advanced broadcast technologies
Sony Corporation (Sony) and World Athletics are joining forces to introduce new broadcast innovations for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on 11-13 September. Sony will serve as an official global partner of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, providing its proprietary optical tracking technology to create a new visualisation of sprint finishes, as a proof of concept at the championship.
Drawing on Sony&rsquo;s long history of working with world-class broadcasters to showcase some of the world&rsquo;s largest sporting events, this partnership will combine Sony's technologies with World Athletics' ambition to reimagine the presentation of athletics and create more immersive and emotionally engaging viewing experiences for fans around the world.&nbsp;
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is a bold new global championship bringing together the world's best athletes to settle who is the greatest in athletics. Designed to create a new experience for fans, the championship places broadcast innovation at the heart of how athletics is presented to audiences around the world. The initiatives are designed to make the decisive moments of athletics more visible.
<h3>Reimagining the finish line</h3>
Developed specifically for track disciplines, the technology captures athlete movement data and recreates the decisive moments of sprint races as immersive three-dimensional computer graphics (3DCG) visualisations. These assets will be integrated into the host broadcaster&rsquo;s international feed, which will be aired by more than 30 major broadcasters worldwide, including the BBC (United Kingdom), NBCUniversal (United States), CCTV (China), ARD/ZDF (Germany), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), L&rsquo;&Eacute;quipe (France), CPSL (Caribbean), Polsat (Poland) and TBS (Japan).
By transforming split-second performances into dynamic visual storytelling, this new proof of concept aims to give audiences a new perspective of athletics, helping them better appreciate the extraordinary speed and athleticism of the world's greatest competitors.
As part of the partnership, Sony will also continue to support and work with accredited photographers to ensure their creative and delivery process runs smoothly at the camera service booth in the venue. Hawk-Eye Innovations, a Sony group company, will also provide its video replay service to help World Athletics officials make accurate and efficient decisions throughout the championship.
&ldquo;Since Sony became an official partner of World Athletics, we have been constantly inspired by the passion of competing athletes and creators who deliver the distinctive perspectives of the sports to the fans worldwide,&rdquo; said Sony Corporation Senior Vice President Fumiatsu Hirai. &ldquo;We are excited to collaborate with World Athletics for the Ultimate Championship to deliver new broadcast experiences that reimagine how the most decisive moments in athletics can be presented, helping bring fans closer to the emotion, intensity and stories that make athletics so compelling.&rdquo;
World Athletics Chief Information Officer An Dang Duy said: &ldquo;The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is designed to challenge conventions and elevate how our sport is experienced by fans around the world. Working with Sony allows us to explore new possibilities in storytelling, technology and broadcast augmentation, creating never-before-seen moments that help audiences fully appreciate just how remarkable these performances are, while bringing them closer to the raw drama, intensity and extraordinary human achievement that define athletics.&rdquo;
Visit <a href="https://www.sony.net/brand/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the official Sony x World Athletics website</a> for more information.&nbsp;

As an official global partner of the championship, Sony unlocks new storytelling experiences for athletics fans worldwide through advanced broadcast technologies

Sony and World Athletics bring broadcast innovation to life at Ultimate Championship

Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 18:13
Contenders: Keshorn Walcott (TTO) 🌍 Arshad Nadeem (PAK) 🏅 Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (SRI) 💎 Anderson Peters (GRN) Julian Weber (GER) Curtis Thompson (USA) Julius Yego (KEN) Dawid Wegner (POL)
World lead: 92.62m Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (SRI) Rome, 4 Jun <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/throws/javelin-throw/all/men/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/javelin-throw/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 98.48m Jan Železn&yacute; (CZE) Jena, 25 May 1996 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/throws/javelin-throw/all/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/17622?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>World leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage arrives as Diamond League and Commonwealth champion after a breakthrough 92.62m season</li>
<li>European champion Julian Weber is the only other entrant to have surpassed 90 metres in 2026</li>
<li>World champion Keshorn Walcott and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem add to an eight-man field packed with global title winners</li>
</ul>
Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has transformed himself from emerging contender to the dominant force in men's javelin during a remarkable 2026 season.
The Sri Lankan made the biggest statement in Rome in June, launching his javelin out to a national record of 92.62m. It moved him to eighth on the world all-time list and more than two metres clear of anyone else in the world at that stage of the season.
And Pathirage has repeatedly backed it up. He won Diamond League meetings in Rome, Doha, Lausanne and Zurich, where he produced another huge throw of 92.07m, before securing his first Diamond Trophy with 89.04m in Brussels.
He has also delivered when championship medals have been on the line, throwing 89.75m to win the Commonwealth title in Glasgow ahead of Neeraj Chopra.
Julian Weber has been his closest rival on the 2026 world list. The German produced 90.40m to win his first European title in Birmingham last month and followed that with 89.54m in Berlin, underlining the consistency of his late-season form.
But major championship pedigree is everywhere in Budapest. Keshorn Walcott returns as the reigning world champion after his victory in Tokyo last year, where Anderson Peters took silver and Curtis Thompson bronze. Peters, the world champion in 2019 and 2022, has improved to 86.93m this season, while Thompson has reached 87.59m.
Dawid Wegner is another athlete peaking at the right moment. The Pole produced a lifetime best of 87.47m to finish second to Pathirage at the Diamond League Final, adding more than four metres to the mark with which he had placed fourth at the European Championships.
Kenya's 2015 world champion Julius Yego and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem complete a field containing five men with lifetime bests beyond 90 metres.
Pathirage has been the outstanding thrower of the year, but in the Ultimate's four-round format, one big throw from any of this decorated field could be enough to change the story.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

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

Ultimate preview: men's javelin

Semifinals:&nbsp;Saturday 12 Sep, 18:46 Final:&nbsp;Sunday 13 Sep, 18:08
Contenders: Anna Cockrell (USA) 💎 Emma Zapletalov&aacute; (SVK) Jasmine Jones (USA) Rushell Clayton (JAM) Gianna Woodruff (PAN) Dalilah Muhammad (USA) Kemi Adekoya (BRN) Amalie Iuel (NOR) Fatoumata Binta Diallo (POR) Paulien Couckuyt (BEL) Ayomide Folorunso (ITA) Sanique Walker (JAM) Ashley Miller (ZIM) Shiann Salmon (JAM) Lina Nielsen (GBR) Shamier Little (USA) S&aacute;ra M&aacute;t&oacute; (HUN)
World lead: 52.13 Anna Cockrell (USA) Zurich, 27 Aug <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/women/senior/2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2026 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/400mh/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
World record: 50.37 Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) Paris, 8 Aug 2024 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/4338?type=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world record progression</a>
<ul>
<li>After seasons of injuries, a fit Emma Zapletalov&aacute; has been the form athlete for much of the season with five Diamond League wins</li>
<li>But her world lead was eclipsed by Anna Cockrell as the US athlete won in Zurich</li>
<li>Dalilah Muhammad is still in the mix, a decade on from her Olympic gold</li>
</ul>
Emma Zapletalov&aacute; has very much had to play the long game but finally her patience is paying off.
The Slovakian athlete had to endure three years of injury-ravaged seasons, missing the 2023 season altogether and running just three times the following year.
There were signs of promise last season when she performed well throughout the Diamond League and then finished on the podium at the World Championships but 2026 has proved to be her revelation.
She talked recently about finally running injury free and the results have been stand-out with five Diamond League 400m hurdles victories to her name as well as becoming the first Slovakian woman to win a European title which she achieved in Birmingham.
The one blemish was a sixth place in Zurich where Anna Cockrell clocked the fastest time of the year when she won in a meeting record of 52.13, and Cockrell again just edged Zapletalov&aacute; at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
Cockrell&rsquo;s Zurich time was her fastest since running 51.87 to finish second at the Paris Olympic Games, a time that had put her fourth on the world all-time list.
But the Ultimate Championship looks unlikely to be a straight head to head between this pairing.
Dalilah Muhammad was meant to have packed up her running spikes with Tokyo pencilled in as her final ever competitive outing last year but, at 36, she is still running rapidly.
She was second behind Cockrell in Zurich, a decade on from winning Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro, but she struggled in Brussels. Surely Budapest will be the swan song to an illustrious career.
Others likely to be in the mix include Muhammad and Cockrell&rsquo;s US compatriot Jasmine Jones, the Tokyo world silver medallist ranked third in the world this season, and Jamaica&rsquo;s Rushell Clayton.
And home fans will be hoping that S&aacute;ra M&aacute;t&oacute; will be able to give them something to cheer about having earned one of the host member federation spots for the event.
Matt Majendie&nbsp;for World Athletics
Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion

A pre-competition look at the women's 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26

Ultimate preview: women's 400m hurdles

Live results, personalised content, games and rewards come together in the new World Athletics app
World Athletics has launched a new official app, bringing live results, performance data, the latest content, games, rewards and more together in one personalised experience. The app, <a href="https://appy.to/oogoe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available on iOS and Android</a>, can be downloaded by opening the link on a mobile device. It makes its debut ahead of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
Sick of your stream switching at the worst moment? Tired of hearing your friends celebrate before you&rsquo;ve even reached the bell? The app puts detailed results and performance data one tap away, from schedules ahead of competition to every split, jump and throw as the action unfolds. Fans can personalise their experience around the athletes, countries and events they most want to follow.
Designed as a second-screen companion to live coverage, the app presents results, statistics and performance data in engaging visual formats, helping fans follow the action as it happens or explore performances in greater detail.
The app also brings World Athletics content together in one place, with news, features, athlete stories and behind-the-scenes access alongside the live action. Some content may be available in the app before being shared across other World Athletics platforms, giving fans an inside track on the sport throughout the season.
In the Play Zone, users can test their athletics knowledge with trivia, take part in polls and use the Play Predictor to forecast results during events. Fans will also have opportunities to win rewards, which may include signed items from leading current and former athletes, official World Athletics merchandise and invitations to events around the world.
Users can also follow their favourite athletes and countries, check schedules and event information, find out where to watch, access tickets and shop World Athletics products.
Launching with a World Athletics Ultimate Championship look and feel, the World Athletics app will continue beyond Budapest as a year-round destination for fans of the sport.
The app adds to World Athletics&rsquo; digital offering alongside its website and social media channels.
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship, taking place on 11-13 September, is designed to settle the debate over who is the best of the best, with world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and the year&rsquo;s top-ranked athletes all striving to be crowned the champion of champions. The first edition will feature a historic prize pot of US$10 million.
&nbsp;
Learn more about the Ultimate Championship <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-ultimate-championship/2026">here</a>. Tickets are available at <a href="http://ultimateathleticschampionship.com/tickets">ultimateathleticschampionship.com/tickets</a>.

Live results, personalised content, games and rewards come together in the new World Athletics app

Coe: The Ultimate has to look and feel different

Athletes take centre stage at The Day Before in Budapest

The Day Before athlete quotes - World Athletics Ultimate Championship

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

Ultimate preview: women's 200m