BUDAPEST, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship will be held at Budapest's National Athletics Centre from September 11 to 13, with Hungarian sports officials hoping the new event will further boost the development of athletics in the country.
The championship will bring together Olympic and world champions, Diamond League winners and the year's top-ranked athletes, along with a limited number of competitors receiving exceptional invitations.
David Szanto, Hungary's deputy state secretary for sports, told a press conference Monday that the event would be "something athletics has never seen before" and said hosting the inaugural edition had special significance for Hungary.
"We can show the world that this new event has a place and a purpose," Szanto said. "It is a huge honor for Hungarian athletics and Hungarian sport as a whole."
Szanto said the benefits of hosting major sporting events went beyond elite competition and could encourage more young people to take up sport.
"The next Boglarka Takacs, Bence Halasz or Attila Molnar may be sitting in the stands and cheering for their heroes," he said. "Even if those young people do not make it to a competition like this in 10 or 20 years, if they experience the joy of movement and sport, then I think we can say it was worth it."
Geza Scheidler, sports director of the Hungarian Athletics Association, told Xinhua that while swimming, water polo and football have traditionally been among Hungary's most popular sports, athletics has attracted greater public interest in recent years.
He said the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest had provided significant momentum, encouraging more children to take up athletics and attracting more television viewers.
"We could see more and more young children starting athletics and enjoying the sport, while more people also began watching athletics on television," Scheidler said.
He added that the increased interest was gradually being reflected in competitive results, with Hungarian athletes recording 14 top-eight finishes at the recent European Championships.
Scheidler said World Athletics had set a high bar for participation in the Ultimate Championship, with Hungary set to have six athletes competing in individual events.
Hammer thrower Bence Halasz and 400-meter runner Attila Molnar qualified through the standard pathway, while four other Hungarian athletes received exceptional invitations as representatives of the host country. Hungary will also field teams in the mixed 4x100 and mixed 4x400 relays.
"Being selected for the Ultimate Championship is in itself recognition of an athlete's competitive level," Scheidler said.
"In 2023, we saw the impact that hosting the World Championships could have," he added. "Now we are welcoming another historic event, and the first edition is being held here in Budapest. Athletics will once again be in the spotlight, and I believe it will give Hungarian athletics another strong push." ■
