The inaugural edition of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship will feature global gold medalist superstars, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo while also providing a platform to showcase off-track passions.
This event is scheduled to take place from September 11 to 13 this year in Budapest, where Jefferson-Wooden and Tebogo will act as team captains for the Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge. While there are bragging rights at stake, the aim is not only to achieve the title of Ultimate Champion through their individual performances, but also to empower others through this event.
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Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, stated that Jefferson-Wooden and Tebogo are among the most prominent stars in sports and are both enthusiastic and dedicated to the Ultimate Championship.
“We are also proud to work with them to connect the event to their individual passions outside of competition,” he said.
“The Ultimate Championship is all about elevating the profile of our sport and its heroes, both on the track and off, and that includes creating opportunities for athletes to showcase all aspects of their personalities and interests,” he concluded.
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Jefferson-Wooden secured three gold medals at the 2025 World Championships held in Tokyo, clinching the top position in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m events. Additionally, the US athlete earned a silver medal in the 100m at the 2024 Olympic Games.
“I’m very excited to compete for the Ultimate Championship,” said Jefferson-Wooden.
“Having the opportunity to bring together my passions for track and field and community means everything to me. I’ve always said I’m a ‘village kid’, and I take so much pride in the people who have supported me every step of the way. This is the perfect intersection of track, community, and pouring into the next generation – and that brings me so much joy.”
Botswana’s Tebogo secured the gold medal in the 200m event at the 2024 Olympic Games. This was also the year he received the title of World Athlete of the Year. Since early 2025, he has served as an ambassador for Kids’ Athletics.
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“I have had such a good experience as a Kids’ Athletics ambassador, and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge as part of the Ultimate Championship,” said Tebogo. “Being the best in the world doesn’t just mean winning gold medals. There is a responsibility to give back and to show young people the power that sport can have in all our lives.”
Just last week, both athletes were appointed as ambassadors for Kids’ Athletics for the year 2026. They are scheduled to participate in next month’s Debswana World Athletics Relays, Gaborone 26, where they will conduct an activation event with local children. Kids’ Athletics is a programme designed to harness the influence of athletics to motivate children globally to engage in more physical activity.
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is poised to revolutionise the athletics calendar and resolve the ongoing discussion regarding which athlete holds the title of the best among the elite every two years – bringing together world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League victors, and this year’s highest-ranked athletes to determine the ultimate champion.
