First Edition Of World Athletics Ultimate Championship Will Showcase Global Gold Medallists.

Budapest, Hungary; April 2026: Global sprint superstars Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo have been announced as Ultimate Stars for the First Edition Of The World Athletics Ultimate Championship, confirming they will be competing at the inaugural edition of the new global championship with 150 days to go until the event kicks off.

Bragging rights are on the line, and not just with the goal of becoming Ultimate Champions through their individual performances. At the event, which takes place in Budapest from 11-13 September, Jefferson-Wooden and Tebogo will serve as team captains for the Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge.

“Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo are two of our sport’s biggest stars and we are excited they are committed to the Ultimate Championship”, said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “We are also proud to work with them to connect the event to their individual passions outside of competition. The Ultimate is all about elevating the profile of our sport and its heroes, both on the track and off, and that includes creating opportunities for athletes to showcase all aspects of their personalities and interests”.

While the Ultimate Championship is centered on the singularity of the best of the best, the path to becoming a global champion is one both athletes recognise as needing the support of a broader team, a love of sport, and a deep well of inspiration. In this way, the two will act as team leaders and mentors during the Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge, where youth from across Budapest will be invited to participate in an on-site activation at the Zsivotzky Gyula National Athletics Centre the day before competition begins.

Jefferson-Wooden earned 03 gold medals at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, taking the top podium spot in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4×100 metres. The US athlete was also the silver medallist in the 100m at the 2024 Olympic Games.

“I’m very excited to compete for the Ultimate Championship” said Jefferson-Wooden. “Having the opportunity to bring together my passions for track and field and community means everything to me. I’ve always said I’m a ‘village kid,’ and I take so much pride in the people who have supported me every step of the way. This is the perfect intersection of track, community, and pouring into the next generation, and that brings me so much joy”.

Botswana’s Tebogo was the gold medallist in the 200 metres at the Olympic Games in 2024. That was the same year he was named World Athlete of the Year. He has been a Kids’ Athletics ambassador since early 2025.

“I have had such a good experience as a Kids’ Athletics ambassador and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge as part of the Ultimate Championship”, said Tebogo. “Being the best in the world doesn’t just mean winning gold medals. There is a responsibility to give back, and to show young people the power that sport can have in all our lives”.

Just last week, both athletes were named as Kids’ Athletics ambassadors for 2026. They will be on hand at next month’s Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26, where they will lead an activation with local children. Kids’ Athletics is an initiative that uses the power of athletics to inspire children around the world to be more active.

The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is set to transform the athletics calendar and settle the debate over which athlete is the best of the best every two years, pitting world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners, and this year’s top-ranked athletes against each other to crown the champion of champions.

Team Maverick.