Duplantis, Ingebrigtsen shine at World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Seasoned Scandinavian campaigners Armand “Mondo” Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen shone on the opening day of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday.

With unmatched prize money totalling $10m on offer over 28 disciplines, Duplantis and Ingebrigtsen walked away with $150,000 each for winning the men’s pole vault and 5,000 metres, 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.

United States-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 5,000 metres in 12:59.24, just the second time in his career he has gone sub-13 minutes.

“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 1,500 metres, 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 5,000-metre races this season, but it’s always good to be back competing,” said Ingebrigtsen, who won his fourth successive European 5,000-metre title in Birmingham last month in what was his first race of the year following Achilles surgery.

“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.