Armand Duplantis wins inaugural event at World Athletics Ultimate Championship
2 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 11, 2026, 10:24 PM
Last updated Sep 11, 2026
The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship opened in Budapest on Friday with a three-day program featuring high-stakes events and a total prize pool of $10 million. Pole vaulter Armand Duplantis secured victory in his event, claiming a $150,000 prize while attempting to set a new world record at 6.32m. The event utilized an innovative presentation style, including a black infield, augmented reality statistics, and live light shows. Other winners on the opening night included Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, and Masai Russell. Additionally, the United States mixed 4x100m relay team took top honors in their event with a time of 39.64 seconds. Competition continues Saturday as athletes such as Keely Hodgkinson and Matthew Hudson-Smith compete in their respective finals.
- •Armand Duplantis earned $150,000 after winning the pole vault title in Budapest.
- •The United States mixed 4x100m relay quartet finished first with a time of 39.64 seconds.
- •Keely Hodgkinson qualified fastest for Saturday’s 800m final by winning her semi-final.
- •Friday’s opening session featured eight individual or team finals over a three-hour window.
- •The competition uses augmented reality graphics to display live win probabilities for viewers.
- 10:24 PMYahoo Sports — Duplantis stars as Ultimate Championship begins
- 10:24 PMBBC Sport — Duplantis stars as Ultimate Championship begins
"The Ultimate Championship is posed as something different in athletics, but some things stay the same - pole vault star Armand Duplantis taking centre stage.
"The Ultimate Championship is posed as something different in athletics, but some things stay the same - pole vault star Armand Duplantis taking centre stage.
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsSep 11, 2026, 10:24 PMDuplantis stars as Ultimate Championship begins
The Ultimate Championship is posed as something different in athletics, but some things stay the same - pole vault star Armand Duplantis taking centre stage.
- BBC SportSep 11, 2026, 10:24 PMDuplantis stars as Ultimate Championship begins
The Ultimate Championship is posed as something different in athletics, but some things stay the same - pole vault star Armand Duplantis taking centre stage.
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