Team USA’s Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden led an aggressive session of title ambitions on Day 2 of competition at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
Bednarek surged to a commanding win in the men’s 100m in 9.85 as Jefferson-Wooden roared to the world lead in the women’s 100m final in a 10.62 victory.
Even with a strong start out of the blocks, Bednarek was matched by teammate Christian Coleman and Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, but found the edge with 20 meters to go in a win that felt much closer as the rest of the field charged alongside him. Seville took second in 9.90 while Team USA’s Ronnie Baker came from behind to get third in 9.93.
“This one was for the history books. It has been a great event and I really enjoyed it,” Bednarek said. “Everything is a little bit more exciting than at the World Championships but also this event brought a bit more pressure on me as there is a lot on the line. I am not sure if I need an additional push from the fans but I definitely use it now and then, and the people and the atmosphere here were great. This whole season was about not pressing myself as I did before.”
Jefferson-Wooden pulled off the first half of the double she planned to run in Budapest after taking the women’s 100m final in a win that left little doubt that she continued to be the standard in the short sprints. Following a strong start, Jefferson-Wooden looked effortless as she held off St. Lucia’s Julian Alfred, who took second in 10.74 and American Sha’Carri Richardson, who was third in 10.76.
“I worked so hard to be where I am today, I didn’t want the moment to be too big, I just had to focus on myself and everything would work out well,” Jefferson-Wooden said. “If I could win the double, it would just add to who I actually am. I am down to do things that haven’t been done before, I am down for innovation and for challenging myself. Coming here, running four races in two days, it’s something I haven’t ever done before. I feel it is just a testament to what I am inspired to do. I said once I want to be one of the greatest athletes that has ever walked this earth and I mean it — whatever that looks like.”
Switzerland’s Audrey Werro proved that she is this year’s undisputed queen of the women’s 800m as she took the win in 1:55.88 with a dominant final lap as she pulled away on the last turn and accelerated on the last 100m. Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson was second in 1:56.26 while Femke Broeders-Bol finished third for The Netherlands in 1:56.74.
“I am just so happy with everything I’ve had and with the race I ran tonight,” Werro said. “I think it is really nice to be able to do something like that; I did everything I wanted to do, so I am really happy about that. I think we have won every race I have done this year during the outdoor season. It is really crazy but, at the same time, it is something I have worked for and now I am getting the result.”
Greece’s Miltiádis Tentóglou soared to an 8.35m win in the men’s long jump over Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Sarâboyukov (8.34m) and Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer (8.07m) while Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska grabbed a stunning 3:57.55 win in the women’s 1,500m ahead of Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell (3:57.72) and Team USA’s Nikki Hiltz (3:58.16) as their teammate Sandi Morris leaped to a 4.90m title in the women’s pole vault over fellow American Hana Moll (4.90m) and Switzerland’s Angelica Moser (4.85m).
Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi was nearly uncontested in his 43.39 victory in the men’s 400m he bolted from Team USA’s Rai Benjamin (44.15) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards (44.23) while the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino bolted to 49.07 win in the women’s 400m and Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi hurled a 68.92m throw to take the women’s javelin final.
2026 Ultimate Championship Results – Day 2
Women’s 400m Final
1. Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic) – 49.07
2. Henriette Jæger (Norway) – 49.28
3. Nickisha Pryce (Jamaica) – 49.56
Women’s Javelin Throw Final
1. Haruka Kitaguchi (Japan) – 68.92m
2. Yan Ziyi (China) – 68.05m
3. Flor Ruiz (Colombia) – 64.84m
Men’s 400m Final
1. Collen Kebinatshipi (Botswana) – 43.39
2. Rai Benjamin (USA) – 44.15
3. Jereem Richards (Trinidad and Tobago) – 44.23
Women’s Pole Vault Final
1. Sandi Morris (USA) – 4.90m
2. Hana Moll (USA) – 4.90m
3. Angelica Moser (Switzerland) – 4.85m
Women’s 1,500m Final
1. Klaudia Kazimierska (Poland) – 3:57.55
2. Georgia Hunter Bell (Great Britain) – 3:57.72
3. Nikki Hiltz (USA) – 3:58.16
Men’s Long Jump Final
1. Miltiádis Tentóglou (Greece) – 8.35m
2. Bozhidar Sarâboyukov (Bulgaria) – 8.34m
3. Simon Ehammer (Switzerland) – 8.07m
Women’s 800m Final
1. Audrey Werro (Switzerland) – 1:55.88
2. Keely Hodgkinson (Great Britain) – 1:56.26
3. Femke Broeders-Bol (Netherlands) – 1:56.74
Women’s 100m Final
1. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) 10.62 WL
2. Julien Alfred (St. Lucia) – 10.74
3.Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) – 10.76
Men’s 100m Final
1. Kenny Bednarek (USA) – 9.85
2. Oblique Seville (Jamaica) – 9.90
3. Ronnie Baker (USA) – 9.93
