Sweden’s Armand Duplantis and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen proved to be standout performers at the opening day of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Friday. Duplantis demonstrated exceptional technique in the men’s pole vault, clearing 6.20 metres to claim victory, while Ingebrigtsen captured the 5,000 metres title with a time of 12:59.24. Each athlete secured $150,000 in prize money from the competition’s substantial $10 million prize pool.
The championship featured eight finals on its opening night, drawing the sport’s elite competitors including Olympic champions, world record holders, and Diamond League winners. Ingebrigtsen’s triumph marked a significant milestone in his recovery from Achilles surgery, representing only his second sub-13 minute performance in the 5,000 metres. He edged out world champion Cole Hocker of the United States, who finished second in 13:00.05.
Additional opening day victories included strong performances from American track athletes. Masai Russell won the 100-metre hurdles in 12.22 seconds, while teammate Ja’Kobe Tharp secured the 110-metre hurdles title by the narrowest of margins. The United States also claimed the inaugural mixed relay championship, with their quartet posting 39.64 seconds to defeat Jamaica and Britain.
Other notable winners included Germany’s Merlin Hummel in the men’s hammer throw and Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the women’s high jump, who cleared 1.99 metres to edge Australian Nicola Olyslagers.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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