Seasoned Scandinavian campaigners Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen shone on the opening day of the inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Friday.
With unmatched prize money totalling $10 million on offer over 28 disciplines, Duplantis and Ingebrigtsen walked away with $150 000 each for winning the men's pole vault and 5 000m respectively.
Pitched as a season-ending championship to bring together the best of the best, including 26 Olympic champions from the 2024 Paris Games, 26 world champions from Tokyo last year and 25 Diamond League winners from the 2026 season, the opening eight finals more than lived up to the hype.
US-born Swede Duplantis cleared 6.20 metres for victory ahead of Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis, while Norway's Ingebrigtsen continued his comeback from injury with a stunning win in the 5 000m in 12:59.24, just the second time in his career he has gone sub-13min.
Mondo is 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 once again 🐐🇸🇪
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) September 11, 2026
He clears 6.20m to become the first-ever Ultimate Champion in Men's Pole Vault 🔝#SSAthletics | #WorldAthleticsUltimate pic.twitter.com/WgzQZDmuLy
"It was a really fun competition tonight. It was a little bit chilly, but I had a great time," said Duplantis.
Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen, who will also race the 1 500m, produced a devastating sprint down the home straight for victory over world champion Cole Hocker of the US (13:00.05).
"I haven't run too many 5 000m races this season, but it's always good to be back competing," said Ingebrigtsen, who won his fourth successive European 5 000m title in Birmingham last month in what was his first race of the year following achilles surgery.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen delivers under pressure to win the Men's 5,000m crown 🇳🇴👑#SSAthletics | #WorldAthleticsUltimate pic.twitter.com/lpY6wCxaK6
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) September 11, 2026
"There was a lot of hope and eventually I got my momentum going. I have gained a lot from the races I've done in the last couple of weeks," he said.
"Being injured I was fearing the worst outcome and did not know if I would be able to run at all, especially at this level.
"This victory is truly amazing."
RUSSELL, THARP VICTORIOUS
Two of this season's world record holders, Masai Russell and Ja'Kobe Tharp, duly won their short hurdles races.
Russell, fresh from running a pace-setting 12.09sec in Brussels, reeled in the 100m hurdles field after a sluggish start for victory in 12.22sec ahead of Nigeria's Tobi Amusan, in 12.34sec.
Russell's US teammate Tharp, who set a world record of 12.75sec in June, edged world champion Cordell Tinch by one-hundredth of a second for 110m hurdles victory in 12.94sec.
WHAT A WAY TO WIN 🫨@jthurdles with the dip of his life win the 110m hurdles with 12.94, just 0.01 seconds ahead of Cordell Tinch in a final that kept us in suspense until the very end ‼️#WorldAthleticsUltimate pic.twitter.com/OtPziO0BJb
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 11, 2026
The first title of the first night of action went to the United States in the 4x100m mixed relay, giving them a shared pot of $80 000.
The quartet of Ronnie Baker, Anavia Battle, Courtney Lindsey and Kayla White clocked 39.64sec ahead of world record holders Jamaica (39.72) and Britain (40.26) rounding out the podium.
"It's really exciting to be the first ever Ultimate champions!" said Baker.
Germany's world silver medallist Merlin Hummel was the surprise winner of the men's hammer throw, with the infield painted black.
His best of 81.46m was enough to set himself up as a clear victor over Hungary's European champion Bence Halasz (80.30).
"It is so overwhelming," said Hummel. "I am used to being in the top three but being the first and to win the Ultimate title feels very special."
Olympic, world and Commonwealth champion Ethan Katzberg of Canada missed out on a podium after two opening no-marks that saw him promptly eliminated from the competition.
"I'm taking some tough lessons today and I definitely could have done a few things differently but I don't really want to dwell on it too much," Katzberg said.
"I want to move forward, focus on what I need and get ready for next season."
The field in the women's high jump was quickly narrowed down to a showdown between Ukraine's world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Australian Nicola Olyslagers.
Olympic champion Mahuchikh cleared 1.99m for the win, while world champion Olyslagers could only manage 1.95m in the chilly conditions.
"I took my first world title here and now at the same stadium I'm making history by becoming the first Ultimate champion," said the Ukrainian, who won world outdoor gold in Budapest back in 2023.
Italy's Larissa Iapichino wrapped up the women's long jump with a best of 6.90m.