Jefferson-Wooden, Bednarek complete Ultimate Championship sprint doubles

American sprinters dominated the finish of the Ultimate Championship in Budapest as Kenneth Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden each completed sprint doubles across the weekend. Bednarek closed the meet with a world-leading 19.52 seconds in the 200m, ahead of Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo (19.76) and Courtney Lindsey (19.79); he had claimed the 100m title the day before in 9.85 to beat Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.90) and the USA’s Ronnie Baker (9.93). Jefferson-Wooden matched that feat on the women’s side, winning the 200m in a season-best 21.47 — a mark that ranks her third on the all-time list — and earlier taking the 100m in 10.62 to hold off Julien Alfred (10.74) and Sha’Carri Richardson (10.76).

The meet produced a string of standout performances across disciplines. Jasmine Jones upset the women’s 400m hurdles with a 52.45 clocking to deny Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova (52.68) and Anna Cockrell (53.09), while Rumesh Pathirage threw 91.09m to win the javelin and extend an unbeaten run this season, ahead of Anderson Peters (86.18) and Julian Weber (85.89). Gianmarco Tamberi took the men’s high jump with a world-leading 2.37m, with JuVaughn Harrison second at 2.30m.

Middle- and long-distance events also supplied memorable moments. Jakob Ingebrigtsen dominated the men’s 5,000m in 12:59.24, followed by the Americans Cole Hocker and Parker Wolfe, and Josh Kerr won the 1,500m in 3:29.35. Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati upset the 800m in 1:41.91, edging Canada’s Marco Arop (1:42.28) and Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:42.44). On the women’s side, Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw took the 5,000m in 14:30.36.

Other event winners included Masai Russell (women’s 100m hurdles, 12.22), Ja’Kobe Tharp (men’s 110m hurdles, 12.94), Miltiadis Tentoglou (men’s long jump, 8.35m), Audrey Werro (women’s 800m, 1:55.88), Alison dos Santos (men’s 400m hurdles, 45.98), and Marileidy Paulino (women’s 400m, 49.07). Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi set a national record in the men’s 400m with 43.39. Sandi Morris claimed the women’s pole vault with a 4.90m clearance, and Mondo Duplantis opened the meet with a 6.20m pole vault win. The women’s javelin saw Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi set a national record of 68.92m to reclaim the title, while China’s Yan Ziyi recorded 68.05m for silver despite retiring hurt.

The competition — part of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship — combined large financial rewards with high-calibre results, drawing notable figures such as Ultimate Champion ambassador Usain Bolt to the stands. Winners in Budapest left with not only titles but substantial prize payouts, underlining the meet’s immediate impact on the global athletics calendar.