Ireland's Finest Set for Historic $10 Million World Ultimate Championship Showdown
Three Irish athletes stand on the brink of history this weekend as the inaugural World Ultimate Championship gets underway in Budapest, with the largest prize pool athletics has ever seen. Mark English, Sharlene Mawdsley and Rhasidat Adeleke each carry their own stories of triumph and adversity into the National Athletics Stadium, where the sport's biggest names will battle for a share of $10 million.
What is the World Ultimate Championship?
The World Ultimate Championship is a new three-day event designed to fill the gap in the global athletics calendar during the sport's quadrennial off-year, a period that traditionally features neither a World Championships nor an Olympics. Only the top 16 ranked athletes in each track discipline and the top eight in each field event have been invited, making this an exclusive gathering of the world's elite.
The event represents a bold experiment by World Athletics to capture public imagination, and the numbers are staggering. With $10 million in total prize money, it is the richest prize pool in the sport's history, offering $150,000 to the winner of each individual event and $10,000 for eighth place.
Sharlene Mawdsley faces Olympic champions in brutal 400m draw
Sharlene Mawdsley is the sole Irish competitor on day one, and the Tipperary sprinter faces a formidable challenge in this evening's 400m semi-finals. Her personal best of 50.06 seconds from Paris in June makes her the seventh quickest in the line-up this year, but her rivals include the gold and silver medallists from the Paris Olympics, Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser.
Mawdsley's season has been one of resilience. After tearing her hamstring at the national championships in July, she missed last month's Europeans in Birmingham. Yet she made an impressive return to racing earlier this week in Rovereto, Italy, winning in 50.58 seconds and signalling that she is back to her competitive best.
For Mawdsley, this weekend is a chance to salvage something from a season that looked to be hanging by a thread. The frustration was compounded in Birmingham last month, where a reproduction of her personal best would have earned a bronze medal over 400m.
Mark English targets first global final in career-best season
Mark English goes into the 800m ranked sixth overall based on his season's best of 1:42.97, and the reigning European champion has a genuine opportunity to make his first global final here. The 33-year-old Donegal athlete needs a top-four finish in tomorrow's semi-final to advance.
His draw is far from kind. English is placed alongside Olympic and world medallists Marco Arop and Djamel Sedjati, as well as Britain's Max Burgin, who ran 1:42.98 this year but was a late withdrawal from the European final due to Achilles tendon pain.
For English, this weekend could crown the best outdoor season of his career. The financial incentive is considerable, and reaching the final would be a landmark achievement for an athlete who has consistently delivered on the European stage.
Rhasidat Adeleke takes a free shot after injury-riddled season
Rhasidat Adeleke will settle into her blocks as the fourth quickest athlete in her 200m semi-final this year, courtesy of the Irish record of 22.28 seconds she ran to win European silver last month. A reproduction of that performance on Sunday evening would likely see her through to the final two hours later.
Her task is made tougher by her draw in lane three, while a trio of US stars, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Gabby Thomas and Kayla White, are set to enjoy a gentler curve in lanes six, seven and eight.
For Adeleke, this represents a free shot of sorts. She overcame a sub-par, injury-riddled season to win 200m silver in Birmingham, performing better than ever over the half-lap distance despite two hamstring tears in March and June. The 23-year-old has shown remarkable character to reach this point, and Budapest offers her the chance to prove she belongs among the world's very best.
Usain Bolt backs athletics' bold new direction
Event ambassador Usain Bolt struck an optimistic tone at yesterday's press conference, lending his considerable weight to the new format.
It's great to see track and field going in a different direction. It's going to be great to see the best of the best. It's big and it's good for the sport.
The question now is whether the public will embrace this new experiment. With the biggest prize pool in athletics history and the world's finest athletes assembled in one stadium, the ingredients are there for something special. For Ireland's three representatives, this weekend represents a chance to etch their names into the history books of a brand new event.
How to follow the Irish athletes in Budapest
Mawdsley competes in the 400m semi-finals this evening, with English in the 800m semi-finals tomorrow and Adeleke in the 200m semi-finals on Sunday. All three events take place at the National Athletics Stadium in Budapest, with the finals following shortly after each semi-final session.
Frequently asked questions about the World Ultimate Championship
What is the prize money at the World Ultimate Championship?
The total prize pool is $10 million, the largest in athletics history. Individual event winners receive $150,000, with prize money scaling down to $10,000 for eighth place.
Who is competing for Ireland at the World Ultimate Championship?
Three Irish athletes are competing: Sharlene Mawdsley in the 400m, Mark English in the 800m, and Rhasidat Adeleke in the 200m.
Why was the World Ultimate Championship created?
The event was created to fill the gap in the global athletics calendar during the quadrennial off-year, which traditionally features neither a World Championships nor an Olympics.