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It was billed as one of the races of the year - and it delivered.

But, in the end, it was Switzerland's Audrey Werro who claimed European gold, ahead of Keely Hodgkinson and the fast-improving Femke Broeders-Bol.

Since then, Hodgkinson chose to skip the Diamond League Final because her body had not recovered physically from her efforts in Birmingham.

Werro remains favourite, having run the third, fourth and fifth fastest times in history during a stunning season which has brought her within reach of athletics' longest-standing world record.

Behind, Broeders-Bol, the world 400m hurdles champion who only moved up to the 800m this season, continues to produce personal bests in her debut campaign.

Hodgkinson goes in the first semi-final, while her her two main rivals in the second.

It's all happening now.

The first of the women's 800m semi-finals is about to start, and Keely Hodgkinson is ready for action.

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Jazmin Sawyers is here - and so too, you would expect, is her lucky blanket. Especially given she has painted her nails to match it.

Just two weeks after completing her remarkable recovery from serious injury to win the Commonwealth Games title in Glasgow, long-jumper Sawyers clinched European silver in Birmingham.

Others may have been disappointed by going so agonisingly close to gold - Sawyers missed out by just one centimetre.

But, having only returned to action last year after a devastating Achilles rupture on her take-off leg ended her Olympic hopes, the Briton was delighted and appears to have returned as strong as ever.

Can she come up with another special performance this evening? The women's long jump final is now under way.

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Hopefully Jakob Ingebrigtsen has saved enough energy to contest another final this weekend, because World Athletics have used exceptional invitations to ensure one of the sport's most compelling rivalries can be staged at its new championship.

Ingebrigtsen only returned from injury last month but wasted no time returning to the top of the podium - and reigniting his war of words with Josh Kerr.

After Ingebrigtsen criticised Kerr's decision to miss the European Championships, instead targeting the mile world record and Commonwealth glory on home soil, Kerr had his say in the lead-up to this weekend.

"When you boil it down, I'm very happy that he's back racing. I think it's great for our distance.
He's one of the best 1500m and 5,000m runners of all time," Kerr said on Ingebrigtsen, who he beat to the world title in Budapest in 2023.

"I'm not going to lose, but I'm excited to go out there and race."

Kerr added: "A championship 1500m or 5,000m is very different to what he's used to right now, coming off a long-term injury. So I first foresee some struggling from his side."

Steve Cram
BBC athletics commentator

Oh my word, Jakob Ingebrigtsen has done what he's done for so many years.

Where did he get that from? Love that. I love watching him race.

Whenever you think he's down, he's back up.

The confidence to sit and be patient. He waited, and waited, and waited.

Incredible!

Everyone is sitting and waiting, and waiting... But there goes Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

The Norwegian is unstoppable when he makes his decisive move.

He storms clear in the closing stages to win in 12 minutes 59.24 seconds, with Cole Hocker finishing well for second.

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Steve Cram
BBC athletics commentator

Ths is building up really nicely.

Anybody here could win this race. Absolutely anyone.

Into the final few laps of the men's 5,000m final.

We're set for a big finish because nobody has managed to break up the field yet. Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Cole Hocker are in the middle of the pack and biding their time as Australia's Ky Robinson leads the way.

Over in the men's pole vault final, Armand Duplantis chose to skip the second height of 5.80m but Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis takes that on and clears it with no trouble.

The event's big hitters are just getting warmed up at those heights.

Image source, Reuters

After those "coward" comments by Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the 5,000m final starts at a pedestrian pace before Berundi's Egide Ntakarutimana surges to the front.

Will that ignite the race?

Interestingly, Ingebrigtsen is closely following Cole Hocker deep in the pack.

Image source, Getty Images

Jakob Ingebrigtsen has made sure his return has been felt on and off the track.

Last week, the Norwegian called his rivals "cowards" and "losers" after attempting to front-run the 1500m but fading to fourth in the Diamond League Final.

He was angry at his competitors for their reluctance to push the pace - particularly Olympic champion Hocker, who had installed his own pacemaker in the race.

Ingebrigtsen later offered something of an apology when he admitted there was "maybe a little too much adrenaline and emotion" involved when he made those comments, but added: "I will always call things as I see it."

They will be two of the main players in this men's 5,000m final.

Great Britain have confirmed a team of 22 athletes for the championship, including Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson.

Hodgkinson will expect to be reunited with rivals Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol in the final, should they all safely progress from tonight's semi-finals which are just over half an hour away.

Georgia Hunter Bell contests the 1500m seeking a fourth major title of 2026 following European, Commonwealth and world indoor success.

After winning four European titles, Amy Hunt races against global champions including Julien Alfred, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Gabby Thomas in the 100m and 200m.

Mile world record holder Josh Kerr is joined by fellow former world champion Jake Wightman in a stacked men's 1500m featuring his fierce rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Olympic champion Cole Hocker.

European gold and silver medallists Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu contest the men's 100m alongside Jamaica's world champion Oblique Seville.

Steve Backley
Two-time world and Olympic javelin silver medallist on BBC TV

Emmanouil Karalis is on fire.

What I love about it is that he's changed the whole dynamic of the event. For the last five years or so, it was just expected for Mondo to rock up, get a height, take the win.

Image source, Getty Images

Emma Middleton
BBC Sport in Budapest

If you want a slice of the finish line elation - or frustration - you have to pay for it.

The most expensive tickets in the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre are the finish line seats. They’ll set you back about 69,000 HUF (£163) for a day ticket.

But there’s a range. Category 5 tickets come in at 10,000 HUF, or about £23.

Maybe that saves you a little bit extra to buy one of the giant pretzels on offer in the stadium. When I say giant, we’re talking the size of my face.

The men's pole vault final is now under way, which means Swedish superstar Armand Duplantis has arrived.

Duplantis has written and performed 'Gold', which is the official song of the championship and plays as he steps up for his first attempt.

He soars over 5.60m, as does main rival Emmanouil Karalis. Let's hope those two can put on a show this evening!

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Record prize money, fierce competition and a global audience. What's not to love for the athletes who have travelled to Budapest?

However, there is also the matter of the excluded athletes and events.

World triple jump champion Pedro Pichardo responded on social media to the decision to exclude his discipline: "I really don't understand what your problem is, and even less so making this decision without any explanation.

"This isn't track and field and it's not good for our sport."

After ending her season with victory in the Diamond League Final, world shot put champion Chase Jackson told Citius Mag: "My body is saying 'yes' but my pockets are saying 'why the hell am I not at the Ultimate?'

"How [do] you have track and field and just skip events? How does that make any sense?"

Australia's world champion Nicola Olyslagers can't get over 1.99m to continue taking the fight to Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

The Ukrainian, with a second-time clearance at that height, is crowned the Ultimate champion and pockets $150,000 after a total of four jumps.

Not a bad day's work at all!

Image source, PA Media

No surprise to see a strong 64% qualification chance hovering above the head of world record holder Masai Russell after her incredible run in Zurich last month before the first of the women's 100m hurdles semi-finals.

Dutch athlete Nadine Visser is pushing her until the closing stages but Russell finishes so strong and opens daylight between herself and the rest of her rivals to comfortably win in 12.38 seconds.

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