The International Association of Athletics Federations announced today, Monday, the launch of a new world championship in addition to the championships it organizes at the men’s level.
The federation said in a statement that the championship will be called the Absolute Championship, and up to 400 of the best athletes in the world will participate in it. Its competitions will be held every two years in the years between the outdoor world championships and the Summer Olympics.
The federation added that the aim of this tournament is to fill the gap between the World Championships and the Olympic Games, and to attract the biggest sports names in track and field games to compete for first places and prizes.
The Federation revealed prizes estimated at ten million dollars allocated for the championship, which is the largest in the history of athletics championships, with each winner receiving $150,000.
The International Federation chose the Hungarian capital, Budapest, to host the first edition of the tournament from September 11 to 13, 2026.
For his part, British Sebastian Coe, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, confirmed that the championship will create strong competition among athletes for the title of “absolute athlete,” and thus the world will follow the best of the athletes. He pointed out that the championship system will stipulate that there will be no competition in the qualifiers, but competition will take place in The semi-finals and final are live, and the timing of the event will ensure for the first time that athletics enjoys a moment of reaching maximum fan following annually.