Inaugural Ultimate a hit with the athletes, says Coe

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AFP) — The inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest worked “pretty well”, according to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, who hailed the “uniquely positive” feedback from athletes.

Coe had dubbed the three-day Ultimate, bringing together 381 athletes from 65 federations in competition for unmatched prize money totalling $10 million, as an “incubator for change”.

An all-black in-field, a long jump pit filled with pink sand, enhanced graphics and quick-fire coverage unashamedly aimed for television, and particularly a younger audience, were all features of the flashy new competition.