Top athletes withdraw from Ultimate Championship due to injuries and personal plans

Several track and field stars will miss the Ultimate Championship in Budapest this Saturday as the inaugural $10 million event faces absences from top competitors. Noah Lyles is sidelined with a lingering leg injury sustained in July, while Tara Davis-Woodhall withdrew after suffering a concussion last month. Others, including Adaejah Hodge, are adhering to pre-planned training and competition schedules that prioritize future major cycles. The women's field is also missing Olympic and world medalists Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon, who are out for maternity leave and injury, respectively. The meet was designed to fill the mid-cycle gap in the international athletics calendar with high-stakes prize money, though the roster of participants remains subject to the independent scheduling decisions of individual athletes. Organizers are moving forward with the event despite these high-profile omissions from the field.

• 1:24 PMYahoo Sports — Injuries, other plans leave some of track's fastest on sideline for $150K at Ultimate Championship