Budapest; August 2026: Today (Thursday – 20th August 2026) World Athletics has announced a series of competition innovations and technical regulations ahead of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled to be held from 11th September to 13th September next month at Budapest, Hungary.
The lane draft: Athletes competing in the men’s and women’s 200m will select their preferred semi-final heat and lane in world rankings seed order live as part of The Day Before. This concept is being trialled for the 200m at the Ultimate as part of a bold effort to transform the standard, anonymous lane allocation process into an athlete-centred product that generates analysis and conversation before the competition has even started.
No ties in vertical jumps: In keeping with the foundational concept of the Ultimate Championship – a competition designed to determine who is the best of the best – there will be no first-place ties in the vertical jumps. A tie for first place will be resolved by a jump-off.
Round progression in field events: Except for the vertical jumps, round progression in the field events will use the format model (8:8:6:4) over four rounds.
• In the first and second rounds, all 08 (eight) athletes will be entitled to an attempt.
• In round three, the 06 highest ranked athletes in the standings after the second round will be entitled to an attempt.
• In the fourth and final round, the 04 highest-ranked athletes in the standings after the third round will be entitled to an attempt.
Attempt orders:
Vertical Jumps - the attempt order shall be seed order starting with the lowest seeded athlete and finishing with the highest seeded athlete.
Horizontal jumps and throws - the attempt order will be:
·In round one, in seed order with highest seeded athlete competing first and lowest seeded athlete competing last.
·In each subsequent round, in the order of the standings after the preceding round, with highest ranked athlete competing first and lowest ranked athlete competing last.
·Athlete recovery times as outlined in the technical regulations will be respected.
No jury of appeal: There will be no jury of appeal appointed to the Ultimate Championship. Athletes will still be able to make an immediate oral protest directly on the field of play to the referee, and athletes or representatives on their behalf can submit written protests to the technical information centre (TIC) within 30 minutes of official results being announced for the respective event.
Refined broadcast product: New elements including fan feedback, an updated broadcast graphics package featuring augmented reality, athlete headshots, win probabilities, projected finishing positions, refreshed look and feel, and race clock shifting to the centre of the screen to better serve a vertical screen experience. Moreover, the show script developed around the streamlined competition timetable to ensure all moments of magic are captured and no storylines are missed.
Live event experience:
• Energetic sound identity built around the Ultimate Anthem, developed by world record-holder and Ultimate Star Mondo Duplantis.
• Live acts during session warm-up.
• Centre-court style interviews shown both in-stadium and on-broadcast.
• Athlete introductions and other event presentation elements developed in cooperation with world and Olympic champion and Ultimate Star Noah Lyles.
Competition:
• Field of play will feature a dramatic black infield with only the competition areas in use during the session showcased in sharp contrast, drawing fans towards the ongoing action. Conceptual renderings of the field of play are available for editorial use here.
• Timetable designed with the organising principle of one field event being contested at a time, whenever possible.
Athlete experience: The Day Before – On 10th September 2026, between 14:00 hours and 17:00 hours, 05 (Five) distinct moments would feature:
·the press conference,
·the red carpet,
·the lane draft,
·the media day,
·the Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge.
Ultimate Stars Letsile Tebogo and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden will serve as team captains for the Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge.
• Reserved rights carved out for participating athletes to publish race footage on digital channels.
• Athlete access to World Athletics-commissioned photography.
• Olympic champion and Ultimate Star Tara Davis-Woodhall will serve as lead content creator for the Ultimate, adding another layer of athlete-led storytelling.
• Athlete-only after-party will be Club Ultimate by Noah Lyles.
• Special access and collective seating for athlete friends and family.
• Reimagining of awards means no medals; all athletes will receive a participation token. Ultimate Champions will each earn a trophy designed to connect with their participation token to form a complete piece.
Digital platforms: Brand-new mobile app launching at the Ultimate, bringing together live results, athlete stories, video content, interactive games, predictions and tailored notifications.
Team Maverick.
