Bednarek doubles up as $10m Ultimate Championship fills Budapest
Kenny Bednarek won the 100m in 9.85 seconds and the 200m in 19.52 to complete the sprint double at the first World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on 11-13 September 2026.
The American held his form through both finals at the National Athletics Centre. His double, winning the two shortest sprints at the same meeting, set the tone for three evenings of head-to-head racing.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden matched that sprint command in the women's races. She took the 100m in 10.62 and the 200m in 21.47, according to official results published by World Athletics. Gabby Thomas chased her home in the 200m in 21.77 for second, with Kayla White third, as reported by NBC Sports.
Britain's Josh Kerr won the men's 1500m in 3:29.35. Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen answered with victory in the 5000m in 12:59.24. Behind them, Ethiopia's Likina Amebaw took the women's 5000m in 14:30.36 and Poland's Klaudia Kazimierska won the women's 1500m in 3:57.55.
The one-lap and barrier races were fast. Botswana's Collen Kebinatshipi won the men's 400m in 43.39 and the Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino won the women's 400m in 49.07. Algeria's Djamel Sedjati took the men's 800m in 1:41.91 and Switzerland's Audrey Werro took the women's race in 1:55.88. Masai Russell won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.22, Ja'Kobe Tharp won the men's 110m hurdles in 12.94, Jasmine Jones won the women's 400m hurdles in 52.45 and Alison Dos Santos won the men's 400m hurdles in 45.98.
The field events delivered depth and distance. Sweden's Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.20m to win the men's pole vault, while America's Sandi Morris won the women's event with 4.90m. Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi jumped 2.37m in the men's high jump and Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the women's event with 1.99m. Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou leapt 8.35m in the men's long jump and Italy's Larissa Iapichino reached 6.90m in the women's event. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage threw 91.09m to win the men's javelin, Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi won the women's javelin with 68.92m, and Germany's Merlin Hummel won the men's hammer with 81.46m. The United States won both mixed relays, in 39.64 for the 4x100m and 3:08.32 for the 4x400m.
Budapest looked different. The infield was painted black and the long and triple jumps landed in a bright pink sandpit. Usain Bolt served as event ambassador, Noah Lyles acted as master of ceremonies and Duplantis performed the championship's official song at the closing celebration, according to BBC Sport. Three nights. Three sell-outs. A record $10m (£7.4m) prize pot was shared.
World Athletics president Lord Coe and his team spent three years building the meeting as a season-ending pinnacle. It is intended to return every two years.
What makes this stand out is the clarity. No heats, no early rounds. The best in each event, one final, money and pride on the line. For fans, this means a simple promise for 2028: come back, and the final will decide everything again.
