Elite Quartet Represents Portugal at Inaugural Ultimate Championship

Portugal will be represented by a quartet of elite athletes at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, taking place in Budapest from Friday to Sunday. Isaac Nader, Gerson Baldé, Agate de Sousa, and Fatoumata Diallo are the names who will carry the national colors into this new and prestigious competition.

The event, held at the Hungarian National Athletics Centre, brings together the world's athletics elite in an innovative, television-friendly format with substantial prize money. Instead of traditional medals, winners of each of the 26 individual events (13 men's and 13 women's) and two relays will receive trophies and the title of "Ultimate Champion."

Participation is extremely selective, with guaranteed spots for Olympic champions, 2025 world champions, and 2026 Diamond League final winners. The remaining places are filled via the world rankings. However, disciplines like the triple jump are not part of this first edition's program.

Pedro Pichardo did not hide his outrage at the decision, posting a strong message on his Instagram. "No men's triple jump at the Ultimate Championship. I really don't understand what your problem is, and even less taking this decision without any explanation. This is not athletics and it's not good for our sport. Stop leaving us out," the Portuguese athlete wrote.

Isaac Nader, in the 1500 meters, is one of the Portuguese delegation's standout figures. The current world champion in the distance (Tokyo 2025) and national record holder for 800m, 1500m, and the mile, arrives in Budapest ranked third globally after securing silver at the 2026 Toruń short-track World Championships.

In the long jump, Portugal boasts a formidable duo. Gerson Baldé, an indoor world champion and ranked seventh globally, secured the national title this year with a leap of 8.42 meters. On the women's side, Agate de Sousa is enjoying a highly successful season, having become the short-track world champion in Toruń and finishing the year in the world's top-6 after reaching the Diamond League final.

Rounding out the quartet, Fatoumata Diallo will compete in the 400-meter hurdles. The athlete, who won a bronze medal at the European Championships in Birmingham, has consistently broken the 54-second barrier, an unprecedented achievement for a Portuguese woman. She recently finished sixth in the Diamond League final with a time of 53.90 seconds.

In pre-event statements, the Portuguese athletes expressed their excitement. Fatoumata Diallo conveyed her happiness at competing at the highest level. "I am very happy and very grateful to be here and to be able to compete with the best. I feel like a star here... now I just need to shine on the track," she stated.

Agate de Sousa, for her part, highlighted the competition's potential to promote the sport. "We're not used to seeing a pre-event for a championship. I believe this event will bring a lot of visibility to athletics," she commented, praising the quality of the participants and the organization.

World Athletics created this competition, which will also offer unprecedented prize money in athletics, with the Ultimate Championship providing a total prize fund of $10 million (approximately €8.6 million). Champions will take home $150,000, or €129,000.