Sharlene Mawdsley missed out on the final of the 400m on the opening night of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship as her lack of race fitness in recent weeks ultimately caught up with her in Budapest.
In her second race in seven weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury at the end of July, Mawdsley had to settle for seventh in her semi-final, clocking 51.28 seconds. Only the top four in each semi-final progressed to Saturday’s decider. The winner will pocket $150,000 (€129,300), representing the largest first-place prize in the sport, part of the record $10-million (€8.6 million) purse on offer across the weekend.
Starting in lane three, Mawdsley was the only athlete in her semi-final not to have broken 50 seconds. She held her form up to the 200m-mark before losing ground on the leaders, The race was won by Olympic and World champion Marileidy Paulino in impressive style, the Dominican clocking 49.58.
After the second semi-final, won by Norway’s Henriette Jaeger in 49.64, Mawdsley was ranked 14th of the 16 athletes, earning her $4,000 (€3,450).
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Mawdsley clocked a lifetime best of 50.06 at the Paris Diamond League in June before sustaining a hamstring tear at the National Championships in Santry which subsequently forced her out of last month’s European Championships. The Tipperary athlete made a winning return to racing on Tuesday with a win in the 400m at the Palio Città della Quercia, but that lay-off clearly cost her here.
Later, the straight final of the men’s 5,000m featured the best of the best, reigning Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen eying the first part of a weekend double. After a thrilling last lap burn-up, the 25-year-old Norwegian unleashed a furious kick down the homestretch to blow his rivals away, including 2025 World Champion Cole Hocker from the US.
Ingebrigtsen was the only man to dip inside 13 minutes, winning in 12:59.05 after a last lap of 54.39. Hocker took second in 13:00.05 ahead of his compatriot Parker Wolfe in 13:00.13.
“I’ve felt a little bit smoother with every race, every session, and felt strong today,” said Ingebrigtsen. “Still, the 5,000m level this year has been through the roof, and I’m extremely happy that I managed to get sub 13. I’ve only done it once before.”
Ingebrigtsen will look to complete a 1,500m-5,000m double on Sunday, but Britain’s Josh Kerr, world-record holder in the mile, will be out to deny him.
The remaining Friday finals saw wins for USA’s Masai Russell in the women’s 100m hurdles, while and her compatriot Ja’Kobe Tharp in the men’s 110m hurdles. In the field events, Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis collected the ultimate prize in the pole vault, while Ukrainian Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the high jump title with only one failure up to her winning height of 1.99m. On the black infield area, Germany’s Merlin Hummel produced the first big shock of the meet, winning the men’s hammer with a best throw of 81.46m.
The first Ultimate champion crowned during Friday’s opening session was in the mixed 4x100m relay, where the USA quartet won in 39.64 seconds, just ahead of Jamaica (39.72), that title worth $80,000. Great Britain finished third in 40.26
Mark English and Rhasidat Adeleke will also be in action in Budapest over the weekend. English will race in the men’s 800m on Saturday (5.34pm Irish time), the top four finishers in each of the semi-finals progressing to Sunday final (6.41pm). In his first race since winning the European title in Birmingham, the Donegal athlete has avoided Olympic and World champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi from Kenya, who’s 1:41.76 is the fastest time clocked in the distance this year.
And Adeleke will go in the women’s 200m on Sunday, drawn in lane two in the opening semi-final (5.44pm) with the final to follow at 7.49pm.
