Summary

  • Watch live BBC coverage of World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest (UK only)

  • Athletics' biggest names go head-to-head over three days as inaugural championship aims to capture new generation of fans with bold new look

  • Event winners will pocket $150,000 (£110,000) each with total prize fund of $10m (£7.4m)

  • LIVE: Sweden's Armand Duplantis in men's pole vault final

  • LIVE: Britain's Jazmin Sawyers in women's long jump final

  • Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen surges to inaugural men's 5,000m title

  • GB's Keely Hodgkinson plus Audrey Werro & Femke Broeders-Bol all through to Saturday's 800m final

  • Full results

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  1. Postpublished at 20:42 BST

    Men's pole vault final

    That looked effortless!

    Armand Duplantis celebrates with the crowd after continuing his perfect card at 6.20m.

    Can Emmanouil Karalis match his personal best to keep this competition going? The crowd will certainly hope so.

  2. One jump for Ultimate title for Sawyerspublished at 20:38 BST

    Women's long jump final

    Jazmin Sawyers has put herself in contention for the title!

    The Briton is through to the final four and has one last attempt to try and out-do Larissa Iapichino's leading 6.90m-jump.

    A best of 6.59m so far for Sawyers.

    This would be so special following the long road back from injury she has endured.

  3. Postpublished at 20:35 BST

    Men's pole vault final

    Mondo Duplantis goes clear over 6.15m at the first attempt too!

    Game on.

    Mondo DuplantisImage source, EPA
  4. Karalis battling Duplantis for Ultimate titlepublished at 20:34 BST

    Men's pole vault final

    What an effort this is from Emmanouil Karalis.

    The Greek must have taken a decent hit when he missed the landing mat earlier in the session, but he has since cleared 6.05m at the final attempt to keep the competition alive - and then raise the bar for Armand Duplantis to 6.15m at the first attempt.

    Duplantis has another huge battle on his hands here.

  5. Record-breaker Russell wins 100m hurdles titlepublished at 20:30 BST

    Women's 100m hurdles final

    We were treated to a spectacular conclusion to the regular Diamond League season in Zurich last month, with two world records falling in quick succession.

    Not long after Alison dos Santos clocked a stunning 45.80 seconds in the men’s 400m hurdles, American Masai Russell ran 12.09 for the women’s 100m hurdles.

    It's not quite as fast this evening from Russell, but it's enough to take the Ultimate title!

    She wins in 12.22 seconds ahead of former record holder Tobi Amusan.

    Media caption,

    Zurich Diamond League: America's Masai Russell breaks women's 100m hurdles World Record

  6. Sawyers in long jump contentionpublished at 20:28 BST

    Women's long jump final

    Over in the women's long jump, Jazmin Sawyers failed with her first attempt and needs to produce something on her second to stay in the competition...

    The European and Commonwealth medallist stays alive with a 6.59m jump!

    Italy's Larissa Iapichino leads with a best leap of 6.90m.

    Jazmin SawyersImage source, Getty Images
  7. 'A lot of fun' for Hodgkinson - and Vancardo 'still has her teeth'published at 20:25 BST

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Keely Hodgkinson has been speaking to BBC Sport after her 800m semi-final win.

    On Veronica Vancardo's fall: "This season we've had a fair share of people falling over, but she's still got all her teeth so she'll be ok.

    "That's one of my worst nightmares, touchwood it hasn't happened to me so far. It's part of racing unfortunately."

    On her race: "I'm happy with that, I'm glad to be back running. It was a lot of fun.

    "It's been a month since I last raced so it's nice to get that run out through the legs, hopefully go a bit better tomorrow."

    Keely Hodgkinson looks at the big screen as Veronica Vancardo receives treatmentImage source, Reuters
  8. Duplantis takes charge of pole vaultpublished at 20:19 BST

    Men's pole vault final

    Armand Duplantis has taken charge of the pole vault final, again going clear at the first attempt at 6.05m.

    It's no longer going so smoothly for Emmanouil Karalis, however.

    The Greek misses his second attempt - and misses the crash mat on his way down. Ouch.

    Duplantis looks over in concern and puts a thumb up as he enquiries whether Karalis is good. He's on his feet, but not moving great...

    Armand DuplantisImage source, Reuters
  9. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 20:17 BST

    Click 'get involved' to have your say

    ...what's wrong with green grass?

    Will, Thame

  10. How much paint?!published at 20:16 BST

    Emma Middleton
    BBC Sport in Budapest

    2,000 litres. That’s how much.

    I’m talking about the amount of black paint that was required to coat the entire infield.

    World Athletics say the paint is a "water-based formulation", which eliminates harsh chemical solvents and toxic compounds.

    Will the grass ever go green again? Yes - it’ll just grow out in time.

    Black infield at Budapest stadiumImage source, Getty Images
  11. Werro and Broeders-Bol join Hodgkinson in 800m finalpublished at 20:12 BST

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Class above.

    Audrey Werro stretches away to win a slower semi-final in one minute 59.05 seconds, ahead of Femke Broeders-Bol who is far enough ahead to have no need to follow the European champion.

    The event's current Big Three go through, with Keely Hodgkinson topping the qualifiers on her return to action.

    That final takes place tomorrow. Don't miss it!

  12. Postpublished at 20:10 BST

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    How will Keely Hodgkinson's rivals fare?

    The Briton can sit back and relax as Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol attempt to join her in the 800m final.

    This should be straightforward enough for them...

  13. Postpublished at 20:09 BST

    Men's pole vault final

    Emmanouil Karalis continues to push Armand Duplantis this season.

    The pole vault has been dominated by Duplantis for so long, so it's been a fun, fresh dynamic to see the Swede really have to work for his wins this year.

    Karalis goes well clear at 5.95m, and Duplantis also follows at the first attempt.

    Mondo Duplantis sat downImage source, Reuters
  14. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 20:06 BST

    Click 'get involved' to have your say

    One of the greatest things about Athletics is that it is suited to all body shapes and sizes. To then think it is OK to exclude is against everything the sport is about. Everyone should have a chance. Think about the kids and the sports future.

    Stuart, New Forest

    Spare a thought for the world class athletes whose events weren't considered 'worthy' of inclusion. Disappointing.

    Phill, Lowestoft

  15. Postpublished at 20:04 BST

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Steve Cram
    BBC athletics commentator

    Keely Hodgkinson goes to the front, maybe just to control it.

    It's pretty steady, Keely just made sure it was a decent, honest pace.

  16. Hodgkinson takes comfortable semi-final winpublished at 20:02 BST

    Women's 800m semi-final

    Keely Hodgkinson leads the race as Swiss competitor falls in the backgroundImage source, Getty Images

    Keely Hodgkinson takes charge of her semi-final early on and eases away from the field well before the closing stages.

    As comfortable a victory as you will see at this level of 800m running.

    The Olympic champion announces herself in Budapest, clocking one minute 57.57 seconds.

    There's a nasty fall for Switzerland's Veronica Vancardo behind and she will appeal that after appearing to be tripped.

    Media caption,

    GB's Hodgkinson secures place in women's 800m final

  17. Hodgkinson returnspublished at 20:00 BST

    Women's 800m semi-finals

    Keely Hodgkinson takes European silverImage source, Getty Images

    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.

  18. Postpublished at 19:59 BST

    Women's 800m semi-final

    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.

    Keely Hodgkinson leads the raceImage source, Getty Images
  19. Sawyers soaring on injury comebackpublished at 19:57 BST

    Women's long jump final

    Jazmin SawyersImage source, Getty Images

    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.

  20. Kerr and Ingebrigtsen set for reunionpublished at 19:54 BST

    Josh Kerr and Jakob IngebrigtsenImage source, Getty Images

    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."