Trophies revealed for World Athletics Ultimate Championship

With 10 days to go before the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship gets under way, World Athletics yesterday revealed the trophies that will be awarded to the winners of each discipline.

As previously announced, a focus on the singular nature of being an Ultimate Champion has led to a reimagining of the awards structure. There will be no medals, as the primary objective is to be crowned the best of the best. Instead, trophies will be awarded to the athletes who emerge victorious.

“We have made an intentional decision to move away from medals as the awards at the Ultimate Championship,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.

“This global championship is all about striving to be the one athlete who comes out on top. Distributing awards for the top three didn’t feel true to that foundational concept, so we are instead focused on the trophies given to the winners of each discipline.”

All athletes will also receive a unique token celebrating their participation in the Ultimate Championship and recognising their status among the world’s elite track and field competitors.

The participation tokens are personalised bracelets, each inscribed with the athlete’s name on the exterior and the official event name on the interior. The bracelets are adjustable to ensure a custom fit for every competitor taking part in the inaugural Ultimate Championship, scheduled for September 11-13 in Budapest, Hungary.

The trophy awarded to each Ultimate champion is designed to connect with the athlete’s participation token, forming a single piece. Inspired by the concept of “carving your name in history”, the trophies are reminiscent of stone statues. Their shape mirrors the Ultimate Championship’s star logo, while gold inlay serves as a reminder of the athlete’s triumph.

Designed to be held aloft, the trophies feature a recessed groove that highlights their incomplete nature. They are only completed by the addition of the Ultimate champion’s bracelet, already engraved with the winner’s name.

The concept of creating a customised award that only an Ultimate champion could receive came from Noah Lyles, the Ultimate MC and creative adviser. Each trophy and participation token is a bespoke work of art, handcrafted by Hungarian designers, jewellers and sculptors to bring the vision of Lyles and World Athletics to life.

The trophies will not be presented through a traditional medal ceremony. Upon winning their event, champions will collect their trophy from a plinth at the competition venue, where it will have remained throughout the event.

The presentation moment will be enhanced by video, sound and fireworks. After completing their lap of honour, Ultimate champions will make their way into the stands and through the crowd on the Champion’s Pathway before proceeding to the TV mixed zone with their trophies.

The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is designed to settle the debate over who is the best of the best, with world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and the year’s top-ranked athletes all competing to be crowned the champion of champions.

The inaugural edition will feature a record prize pot of US$10 million.

More information on the Ultimate Championship is available online. Tickets can be purchased at ultimateathleticschampionship.com/tickets.