The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship saw thrilling performances on its second day, with Audrey Werro defeating Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson in the women's 800m and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden clocking the season's fastest time in the women's 100m. Other notable winners included Kenny Bednarek in the men's 100m, Collen Kebinatshipi and Marileidy Paulino in the 400m, Haruka Kitaguchi in javelin, Klaudia Kazimierska in 1500m, Miltiadis Tentoglou in long jump, and Sandi Morris in pole vault.
Americans Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek secured double sprint gold at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, each winning the 100m and 200m titles and a $300,000 jackpot. Jefferson-Wooden's 200m time of 21.47 seconds made her the third fastest woman in history, while Bednarek, known as "Kung Fu Kenny," dominated the men's 200m. The event, designed for television, drew sellout crowds and featured other star athletes like Gianmarco Tamberi and Mondo Duplantis, with World Athletics president Sebastian Coe noting its potential for future Olympic and World Championship elements.
World-record holder Alison dos Santos secured victory in the men's 400m hurdles, while Djamel Sedjati surprisingly won the men's 800m on the final day of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Other winners included Jasmine Jones (women's 400m hurdles), Rumesh Pathirage (men's javelin), and Likina Amebaw (women's 5,000m) at the event in Budapest, which featured a record $10 million prize pot.
Nairobi, Kenya, has been selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first time an African city will stage the prestigious event. World Athletics also announced Munich as the host for the 2031 championships. This decision follows Nairobi's previous unsuccessful bid for 2025 and highlights Kenya's strong connection to athletics.
Top Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav has undergone elbow surgery, forcing him to miss the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, despite being in a qualifying spot. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation and hopes to return next season.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has confirmed that the governing body's position on excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition remains unchanged, despite an upcoming Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) case. Coe emphasised that the decision is based on maintaining the integrity of competition, not politics. Russian Athletics has filed a fresh appeal with CAS challenging these sanctions, which have been in place since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen made a stunning comeback from Achilles surgery to win the men's 5,000 metres at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, securing a $150,000 prize. Fellow star Mondo Duplantis also claimed a pole vault title, narrowly missing a world record. The new championship format aims to attract new fans with its high-stakes fields and glitzy production.
Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Pathirage faces a significant setback for the upcoming Asian Games after five of his "winning" javelins were damaged during air travel from Budapest. Pathirage, a favourite for gold, had used these specific javelins for his record-breaking throws and recent victories, including beating Neeraj Chopra.
Double Olympic pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis has released "Gold," the official anthem for World Athletics' inaugural Ultimate Championship. The track, written and performed by Duplantis, is now available on major streaming platforms and will be the signature soundtrack for the event in Budapest, featuring top athletes competing for a $10 million prize fund.
Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt expressed amusement rather than frustration upon learning that a robot in China had broken his 100-metres world record by almost a second, stating, 'It just made me smile.'
The Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, are set to feature top athletes across various disciplines. This preview highlights key contenders like swimmers Pan Zhanle, javelin throwers Haruka Kitaguchi and Arshad Nadeem, badminton star An Se-young, gymnastic sensation Carlos Yulo, tennis prodigy Alexandra Eala, and the formidable Indian cricket teams, all poised to make a significant impact.
Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the prestigious Diamond League Finals in Brussels on September 5, securing his spot despite competing in only two events due to a lower back injury. He also remains on track to qualify for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest.
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has announced he will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, including the Asian Games, after sustaining a ligament tear in his ankle during training. This injury is a significant setback for India's athletics campaign.
At 17, Dipanshi is set to make her Asian Games debut in wrestling, bringing a unique life philosophy that prioritises being a good person over just athletic success. Despite lacking senior-level experience, the three-time Asian championship gold medallist is embracing the challenge with curiosity, learning from top competitors and Japanese coaching, while aiming to forge her own identity in the sport.
Five Indian relay teams are set to compete in the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, aiming to secure qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
Pakistan's Olympic gold-medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem will skip the upcoming Diamond League meet in Lausanne to concentrate on his preparation for the Asian Games and another international event. He will undergo a training camp in South Africa under coach Terseus Liebenberg, aiming to improve his performance after recent struggles.
Armand Duplantis won the Lausanne Diamond League pole vault with a 6.21-metre jump, showcasing a strong return to form after recent setbacks.
World champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden defeated Olympic gold medallist Julien Alfred in the women's 100 metres, while Oblique Seville secured victory in the men's sprint at the Silesia Diamond League.
Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra is set to renew his rivalry with Sri Lankan star Rumesh Pathirage at the Lausanne Diamond League, with both athletes vying for a spot in the prestigious DL grand finale in Brussels.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has alerted the Hungarian Embassy in New Delhi about forged documents submitted by individuals posing as wrestlers, raising concerns about a potential human trafficking attempt.
India's race walkers disappointed in the 35km events with Sandeep Kumar and Priyanka Goswami finishing in 23rd and 24th places in the men's and women's sections respectively.
American Katie Moon created history as she became the first woman to win three consecutive World Championships pole vault titles.
'We will announce the team on August 30. More confirmation has to come from World Athletics by then.'
Chopra focussing on rehabilitation of his back injury, season opener not known yet: Sumariwalla
Neeraj, who will look to defend his javelin throw title in Tokyo, and Arshad were expected to mark their first face-off this year at the Silesia Diamond League in Poland in August.
Beatrice Chebet added the World 10,000 metres crown to her Olympic gold and World record over the distance, winning the event in 30:37.61 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Saturday.
'Today is a beautiful closure of an amazing year for me,' Kenya's Kipyegon said acknowledging the prize.
For Olympics 100m gold medallist and multiple-time world champion American sprinter Noah Lyles, 2026 season and beyond will be about having an "all-or-nothing" mentality.
Neeraj to lead India in World C'ships; three miss chance due to medical issues despite qualification
'India has expressed interest to host the 2036 Olympics and 2030 Youth Olympics'
Neeraj Chopra is set to face Nadeem for the first time after the 2024 Paris Olympics, giving him a chance to avenge his second-place finish in the French capital.
If the two-time Olympic medallist Indian wins gold on September 18, the day of the finals, he will become the third men ever to win the world championships javelin title in two consecutive editions.
World Championships: Long jumper Sreeshankar, steeplechaser Parul fail to qualify for finals
Rohit Yadav clinched the javelin throw gold medal at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships to keep himself in contention for a berth in the World Championships in Tokyo.
Oblique Seville, who finished last in the Paris Olympics final last year, emerged an easy winner with 9.77 -- to be placed 10th on the all-time list. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden claimed a dominant victory in the women's 100 metres in 10.61 seconds -- the fastest time ever run at a World championships.
Tejaswin will however focus on Asian Games 2023, which will be held from Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.
AFI chief Sumariwalla elected World Athletics VP, becomes first Indian EB member
Sha'Carri Richardson, who won Olympic silver in the 100 at the Paris Games, allegedly pushed Christian Coleman, who then fell into a nearby column after an argument.
eeraj Chopra endured a nightmarish outing at the World Championships' men's javelin throw finals to end a disappointing eighth at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Neeraj Chopra lived upto his favourite billing as the star Indian athlete clinched gold in the men's javelin throw at the ongoing World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday.
