World Athletics unveils innovative format for Ultimate Championship in Budapest

Photo : President of World Athletics
Sebastian Cole

By Maxwell Kumoye

Sprinters will choose their own lanes, jump-offs will determine outright winners in the high jump and pole vault, while television viewers will be given win probabilities and live fan feedback when World Athletics stages its inaugural Ultimate Championship.

The sport’s governing body unveiled a series of innovations on Thursday for the September 11–13 event in Budapest, Hungary, as part of a broader drive led by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe to make athletics more appealing to younger audiences and deliver a more entertainment-focused product.

One of the most striking changes will be the introduction of a “lane draft” for the men’s and women’s 200 metres.

Athletes will select their preferred semi-final heat and lane in a live event in front of media and fans on the eve of competition.

Selections will be made according to the athletes’ world rankings, with the highest-ranked competitors choosing first.

The Ultimate Championship will also ensure there is a clear winner in the vertical jumps, with ties for first place ruled out. Any deadlock in the high jump or pole vault will instead be resolved through a jump-off.

Field events will also feature a faster format designed to keep the spotlight on the leading contenders. Except in the vertical jumps, all competitors will initially receive two attempts before the field is progressively reduced from eight athletes to six and then four.

Broadcast coverage will feature augmented graphics displaying projected finishing positions and win probabilities, while live fan feedback will add another interactive element for viewers.

Athlete introductions inside the stadium and other presentation features have been developed in collaboration with Olympic champion Noah Lyles, while pole vault world-record holder Mondo Duplantis has created the championship’s official anthem.

The competition will also adopt a distinctive visual identity, including a black infield designed to focus attention on the event currently taking place.

World Athletics says the innovations are aimed at creating a faster, more dynamic and audience-friendly championship as it seeks to attract a new generation of fans to the sport.