Putri Anggraini
United States sprinters Kenneth Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden produced a masterclass in short-distance running in Budapest, both securing prestigious 100-meter and 200-meter doubles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Their exceptional performances capped an action-filled weekend in the Hungarian capital that featured top-tier track and field talent competing for lucrative $150,000 individual winner payouts.
Bednarek delivered one of the definitive moments of the competition on Sunday by capturing the men's 200 meters in a world-leading time of 19.52 seconds. His explosive mark stood as the quickest performance recorded globally this season, allowing him to pull away from Botswana’s reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, who claimed second in 19.76 seconds. American teammate Courtney Lindsey rounded out the podium positions in third place with a time of 19.79 seconds, all unfolding under the watchful eye of Jamaican sprint icon Usain Bolt, who observed the race from the stands.
The 200-meter triumph capped off a breakthrough weekend for Bednarek, who had already claimed the men's 100-meter title on Saturday. Breaking out from the shadow of compatriot Noah Lyles, Bednarek clocked 9.85 seconds to narrowly defeat Jamaica’s world champion Oblique Seville, who crossed in 9.90 seconds, while fellow American Ronnie Baker took third place in 9.93 seconds.
Jefferson-Wooden matched Bednarek's double achievement with historic dominance in the women's sprints, mirroring her previous sprint sweep at the World Championships in Tokyo. In the 200 meters, she dashed to a world-leading 21.47 seconds, elevating her status to the third-fastest woman in the event's history. She comfortably held off Olympic champion Gabrielle Thomas, who finished in 21.77 seconds, and Kayla White, who registered 21.93 seconds to complete an all-American top three.
Her 200-meter display followed a similarly emphatic win in the women's 100 meters, where Jefferson-Wooden crossed the line in 10.62 seconds. That time proved sufficient to stave off Saint Lucia's Olympic champion Julien Alfred, who posted 10.74 seconds, and American teammate Sha’Carri Richardson, who recorded 10.76 seconds on the very track where she had claimed a world title three years prior.
Sunday's track action also featured a major shakeup in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. American Jasmine Jones broke through for a major victory in 52.45 seconds, edging Slovakia's Emma Zapletalova, who took second in 52.68 seconds. Pre-race favorite and world leader Anna Cockrell had to settle for third in 53.09 seconds after an otherwise dominant season, while former Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad placed fourth with a season's best of 53.11 seconds before officially retiring from track and field.
Field events provided further excitement as Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage extended his undefeated campaign in the men’s javelin. Pathirage uncorked a massive 91.09-meter effort on his final attempt to decisively secure the championship. Anderson Peters of Grenada took runner-up honors with a mark of 86.18 meters, followed by Germany’s Julian Weber at 85.89 meters, while world champion Keshorn Walcott ended in fourth with 82.41 meters.
In the men's high jump, Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi electrified the stadium by clearing a world-leading height of 2.37 meters. Tamberi's clearance comfortably eclipsed the rest of the field, finishing ahead of American JuVaughn Harrison, who cleared 2.30 meters for second place, and Mexico’s Erick Portillo, who took third with a height of 2.26 meters.
Middle-distance finals delivered dramatic conclusions across several disciplines. Great Britain's Josh Kerr executed a composed race to win the men's 1,500 meters in 3:29.35. In contrast, the men's 800 meters produced an upset as Algeria's Djamel Sedjati surged to victory in 1:41.91, getting the better of Canada's Marco Arop in 1:42.28 and pushing reigning Olympic and world champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya back into third place with a time of 1:42.44.
Distance running events saw Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen rebound in commanding fashion to capture the men's 5,000 meters in 12:59.24. Ingebrigtsen managed to hold off a charging American duo as Cole Hocker clocked 13:00.05 for second and Parker Wolfe secured third in 13:00.13. In the women's 5,000 meters, Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw controlled the pace to take the crown in 14:30.36.
Vertical jumping was highlighted by a signature display from Sweden's Mondo Duplantis, who opened the championship weekend on Friday by winning the men’s pole vault with a 6.20-meter clearance. Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis took second with a strong 6.15-meter effort. On the women's side, American Sandi Morris celebrated an emotional milestone by clearing 4.90 meters to claim her first global outdoor title.
The horizontal jumps and sprint hurdles saw continued excellence from leading international athletes. Senegal’s Saly Sarr stole the spotlight in the women's triple jump with a winning mark of 15.06 meters, outperforming world leader Thea Lafond of Dominica, who finished with 14.47 meters. Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou captured the men’s long jump title with an 8.35-meter leap.
American hurdlers showcased complete control in the short hurdles. Masai Russell completed an undefeated season by winning the women's 100-meter hurdles in 12.22 seconds, while Diamond League champion Ja’Kobe Tharp claimed the men’s 110-meter hurdles crown with a 12.94-second performance.
The meet was further highlighted by dominant one-lap performances on the oval. Dominican star Marileidy Paulino won the women’s 400 meters in 49.07 seconds, while Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi claimed the men's event with a national-record time of 43.39 seconds. Brazil's Alison dos Santos sealed the men's 400-meter hurdles in 45.98 seconds, and Switzerland's Audrey Werro took the women’s 800 meters in 1:55.88. Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh added another major title to her resume, relaxing in a sleeping bag between rounds before winning the women's high jump at 1.99 meters ahead of Australia's Nicola Olyslagers.
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