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Jefferson‑Wooden and Bednarek Sweep Sprints as Ultimate Championship Concludes in Budapest

The three-day, $10 million meet drew sellout crowds as a TV-focused trial that could reshape how top athletes are paid and how events are presented.

Overview

  • Melissa Jefferson‑Wooden and Kenny Bednarek completed 100m‑200m doubles on Sunday, each collecting $300,000 after winning both events at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
  • Brazil’s Alison dos Santos won the men’s 400m hurdles in 45.98 seconds, coming two weeks after he set a new world record and confirming his dominance over the distance.
  • Audrey Werro beat Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson to win the women’s 800m on Saturday, reinforcing a season in which Werro has repeatedly produced some of the fastest times in history.
  • World Athletics ran the three‑day, invitation-only meet with no country quotas and a $10 million prize pot that paid $150,000 for each event win, and organisers reported roughly 20,000 fans per night and more than 60,000 attendees overall.
  • The big purses and TV‑friendly format produced high-level performances and large crowds, leaving athletes with sizable paydays and giving World Athletics a live test case that could influence future pay rules, broadcast presentation and championship formats.