BUDAPEST (HUN): On Wednesday, athletes from all around the World arrived in Budapest for the first WA Ultimate Championships. On Thursday, an official press conference is planned, along with a day-before scenario, including a red carpet for athletes and media opportunities.
The Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge will also feature Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo. Competitions will start on Friday; lane and technical event seeding will be based on World Rankings by September 1. The top 4 will advance by position from semifinals to finals. The Ultimate winners will receive a special trophy each day, and on Sunday all the winners will be gathered once again. The prize money pot is a record-high 10 million USD. In total, 381 athletes from 65 countries are competing.Short event-by-event previews
Friday (11)
Women
400m (semis, final on Sat): No one seems to be able to beat Marileidy Paulino these days, she last lost more than a year ago to Salwa Eid Naser (and to SML in Tokyo), who is also in the lineup after missing the DL Finals.800m (semis, final on Sat): Another show for Audrey Werro against Femke Broeders-Bol, can Keely Hodgkinson push them in her first start since being defeated in Birmingham?100m hurdles: New WR holder Masai Russell, undefeated since Tokyo Worlds, should crown her extraordinary season with another title and fast time.
High jump: The three favorites are DL and CWG champion Eleanor Patterson, European champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who lost her last three competitions, and Nicola Olyslagers.
Long jump: Hard to predict; European champion Larissa Iapichino lost to Monae’ Nichols in the DL Finals, and CWG champion Jazmine Sawyers is also competing.
Men
5000m: Very open race as DL champion Birhanu Balew is missing, European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Cole Hocker in his first race at the distance since winning in Tokyo Worlds, in-shape Parker Wolfe skipping the DL Finals, fast finishers from Brussels led by Egide Ntakarutimana, or Addisu Yihune in his first start since the end of June?110m hurdles: WR holder and DL champion Ja’Kobe Tharp is the favorite, Jamal Britt waiting for his chance.
Pole vault: Should be one of the highlights; Mondo Duplantis should be recovered, then follows Manolo Karalis.
Hammer: World leader and European champion Bence Halász would like to win on home soil, but Ethan Katzberg has been undefeated for over a year, having last lost to Halász.
Mixed 4x100m: Will depend on the composition of the individual teams, but Jamaica was the clear winner at the World Relays, while United States and European champions from Great Britain could challenge them.
Women (also 400 m and 800 m finals)
100m: Stellar duel between Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Julien Alfred; they are 1-1 head-to-head this season.1500m: This could be the most surprising champion, since Klaudia Kazimierska unexpectedly dominated the DL Finals in a world lead; her Brussels challengers are all there as well: Dorcus Ewoi, Jess Hull and Georgia Hunter Bell looking to improve, also the 5000m DL champion Freweyni Hailu in her first 1500m since late June.400m hurdles (semis, final on Sun): World leader and DL champion Anna Cockrell to be challenged by European champion Emma Zapletalová; Jasmine Jones is back after skipping the DL Final.Pole vault: DL champion Hana Moll is aiming for victory; European champion Angelica Moser will challenge her, as will Sandi Morris, missing the DL Finals.
Javelin: What will Chinese wonder Yan Ziyi show, victory is expected, will she add a 70-meter attempt or even attack the WR?
Men (also 400 m final)
100m: DL champion Oblique Seville is the favorite, having won his last two races, in Brussels against CWG champion Emmanuel Eseme and in Silesia against Kenny Bednarek.
800m (semis, final on Sun): Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s current form is impressive; Brandon Miller, who skipped the DL Finals, will be added, as well as European champion Mark English or Max Burgin (was DNS in the Birmingham final), who have not competed since the European Championships.
400m hurdles (semis, final on Sun): The highlight of the Championships? Fresh WR holder and hero of the year Alison Dos Santos against his usual rival this season, Karsten Warholm, and, for the first time since Tokyo Worlds against Rai Benjamin, WR in danger?
Long jump: Looks like a duel between the world leader and European champion Miltiadis Tentoglou and DL and CWG champion Tajay Gayle.
Sunday (13)
Women (also 400 m hurdles final)
200m: Duel of champions, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden against Gabby Thomas; for the first time this season, Jefferson-Wooden was 2-0 head-to-head last season.
5000m: An Ethiopian issue, there are six of them at the start, led by the DL champion Freweyni Hailu after Saturday’s 1500m, followed by world leader Likina Amebaw and their only serious challenger, CWG champion Rose Davies.
Triple jump: DL champion Saly Sarr is in shape, but Cubans Leyanis Pérez Hernández and Davisleify Velazco will challenge her; can world leader and CWG champion Thea LaFond do the same?
Men (also 400 m hurdles and 800 m finals)
200m: Kenny Bednarek to confirm his dominance this season and to attack a world lead and his lifetime best.
1500m: A race for the ages? New mile WR holder and CWG champion, as well as the 1500m world leader Josh Kerr, against the top 2 from the DL Finals, Cam Myers and Phanuel Koech: can Cole Hocker improve after the disappointment in Brussels, and will Jakob Ingebrigtsen start?
High jump: As always this season, it’s roulette: European champion Gianmarco Tamberi, world leader JuVaughn Harrison, and surprise DL champion Mateusz Kolodziejski.
Javelin: World leader and DL and CWG champion Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage will now be seriously challenged by European champion Julian Weber for the first time this season; Arshad Nadeem is also back after a disappointing CWG.
Mixed 4x400m: Top 2 from the World Relays, USA and Jamaica, but it will depend on the final line-ups of the relay teams.
