Usain Bolt “excited” by new-look 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship: “It’s great to see track & field going in a different direction”

Retired sprinting legend Usain Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medallist who stepped away from athletics in 2017, has expressed enthusiasm for the inaugural 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship set to be held in Budapest. Bolt stated he would have treated the new event as seriously as the World Championships or Olympic Games, emphasizing his belief in competing against the best. The Ultimate Championship is designed to push athletics forward with a new format and an athlete-centred approach.