Duplantis dominates opening night of new Ultimate Championship in Budapest

The World Athletics Ultimate Championship launched in Budapest, presenting a new three-day format designed by governing body World Athletics and its president Lord Coe to reshape the sport, backed by a record $10m prize pot.

The stadium, which hosted the World Championships three years ago, featured striking visual changes including a blacked-out infield to focus attention on illuminated event areas, along with augmented reality graphics on broadcasts showing win probabilities and projected finishes for athletes.

At the centre of attention was Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, already confirmed as the inaugural champion and winner of a $150,000 share of the prize money before competing. The two-time Olympic champion narrowly failed to clear 6.32m, missing out on what would have been the 16th world record of his career, but an entertaining duel with Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis provided a dramatic finale to the night. Duplantis said he had approached the event with a mix of nerves and excitement, calling it a missing piece in becoming an all-round champion.

The opening session produced eight finals, with victories for Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh and American Masai Russell among others. Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson, Georgia Hunter Bell, Amy Hunt and Matthew Hudson-Smith were among those hoping to add titles on the second day. The first trophy of the championship went to the United States' mixed 4x100m relay team, who won in 39.64 seconds, with Britain finishing third.

In the women's long jump, Jazmin Sawyers took second place, a notable result after recovering from a serious Achilles injury on her take-off leg. Hodgkinson eased through her 800m semi-final with the fastest qualifying time ahead of Saturday's final, while Ingebrigtsen won the 5,000m comfortably as he prepares for a much-anticipated 1500m showdown against Britain's Josh Kerr.