© Copyright – 2026 – Athletics Illustrated
What happened to track powerhouses Ethiopia and Kenya at the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship?
While the meet ends late Sunday, so far, neither country has earned a medal (top-3) at the championship in the Zsivotzky Gyula Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ (national stadium) in Budapest, Hungary.
Currently, the USA leads with four golds, four silvers, and four bronzes for 12 medals. No one else is close. Norway has a total of three, Ukraine with two, and 18 others have won one medal each. Canada also has zero.
Doughnuts are no fun, especially when you are used to dominating.
The two East African nations are accustomed to dominating the middle-distance events, not the sprints, jumps or throws. There is still plenty of opportunity for Kenya to get on the medal table, beginning with Emmanuel Wanyonyi in the men’s 800m final, where gold is certainly within reach. Day 3 also brings medal possibilities in the women’s 1500m, men’s 1500m and men’s 5000m.
By the end of the day, Sunday, Ethiopia and Kenya can earn three medals each.
Part of the issue for the two East African countries is that the meet is oriented more toward television, so the marathon, 10,000m, and 3000m steeplechase events have not been included in the inaugural event. In that case, they would likely have earned several medals.
Medal table
| Rank | Country | Medals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 12 (4-4-4) |
| 2 | Norway | 3 (1-1-1) |
| 3 | Ukraine | 2 (1-0-1) |
| 4 | Germany | 1 (1-0-0) |
| 4 | Italy | 1 (1-0-0) |
| 4 | Sweden | 1 (1-0-0) |
| 4 | Dominican Republic | 1 (1-0-0) |
| 4 | Botswana | 1 (1-0-0) |
| 4 | Japan | 1 (1-0-0) |
| 4 | Poland | 1 (1-0-0) |
| 11 | Great Britain | 3 (0-2-1) |
| 12 | Australia | 2 (0-1-1) |
| 12 | Jamaica | 2 (0-1-1) |
| 14 | Nigeria | 1 (0-1-0) |
| 14 | Hungary | 1 (0-1-0) |
| 14 | Greece | 1 (0-1-0) |
| 14 | China | 1 (0-1-0) |
| 18 | The Netherlands | 1 (0-0-1) |
| 18 | Trinidad & Tobago | 1 (0-0-1) |
| 18 | Colombia | 1 (0-0-1) |
| 18 | Switzerland | 1 (0-0-1) |
Day 3 — Sunday, September 13
| Event | Athletes |
|---|---|
| Women’s 400m hurdles — final | Emma Zapletalová (SVK), Anna Cockrell (USA), Jasmine Jones (USA), Rushell Clayton (JAM), Gianna Woodruff (PAN), Dalilah Muhammad (USA), Kemi Adekoya (BRN), Amalie Iuel (NOR), Fatoumata Binta Diallo (POR), Paulien Couckuyt (BEL), Ayomide Folorunso (ITA), Sanique Walker (JAM), Ashley Miller (ZIM), Shiann Salmon (JAM), Lina Nielsen (GBR), Shamier Little (USA), Sára Mátó (HUN) |
| Men’s javelin — final | Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (SRI), Anderson Peters (GRN), Julian Weber (GER), Curtis Thompson (USA), Keshorn Walcott (TTO), Julius Yego (KEN), Dawid Wegner (POL), Arshad Nadeem (PAK) |
| Men’s 200m — semifinals | Kenneth Bednarek (USA), Letsile Tebogo (BOT), Sinesipho Dambile (RSA), Bryan Levell (JAM), Makanakaishe Charamba (ZIM), Alexander Ogando (DOM), Andre De Grasse (CAN), José Figueroa (PUR), Yassine Hssine (MAR), Aaron Brown (CAN), Courtney Lindsey (USA), Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike (NGR), Christopher Taylor (JAM), Timothé Mumenthaler (SUI), Brandon Hicklin (USA), Kyree King (USA) |
| Men’s 400m hurdles — final | Alison dos Santos (BRA), Karsten Warholm (NOR), Ezekiel Nathaniel (NGR), Abderrahman Samba (QAT), Emil Agyekum (GER), Matheus Lima (BRA), Caleb Dean (USA), Trevor Bassitt (USA), Matic Ian Guček (SLO), İsmail Nezir (TUR), Yeral Núñez (DOM), Bassem Hemeida (QAT), Oskar Edlund (SWE), Kemorena Tisang (BOT), Owe Fischer-Breiholz (GER), Rai Benjamin (USA) |
| Women’s 200m — semifinals | Gabrielle Thomas (USA), Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA), Amy Hunt (GBR), Anavia Battle (USA), Kayla White (USA), Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH), Cambrea Sturgis (USA), Fabienne Hoenke (SUI), Ashanti Moore (JAM), Torrie Lewis (AUS), Jaël Bestué (ESP), Jenna Prandini (USA), Success Eduan (GBR), Rhasidat Adeleke (IRL), Gémima Joseph (FRA), Lavanya Williams (JAM), Boglárka Takács (HUN) |
| Men’s high jump — final | Oleh Doroshchuk (UKR), Jan Štefela (CZE), JuVaughn Harrison (USA), Tyus Wilson (USA), Erick Portillo (MEX), Romaine Beckford (JAM), Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA), Mateusz Kołodziejski (POL) |
| Women’s 5000m — final | Likina Amebaw (ETH), Freweyni Hailu (ETH), Senayet Getachew (ETH), Aleshign Baweke (ETH), Rose Davies (AUS), Fantaye Belayneh (ETH), Shelby Houlihan (USA), Hannah Nuttall (GBR), Jessica Hull (AUS), Maureen Koster (NED), Marta García (ESP), Hirut Meshesha (ETH) |
| Women’s triple jump — final | Leyanis Pérez Hernández (CUB), Saly Sarr (SEN), Thea LaFond (DMA), Davisleydi Velazco (CUB), Liadagmis Povea (CUB), Dariya Derkach (ITA), Ackelia Smith (JAM), Gabriele Santos (BRA) |
| Men’s 800m — final | Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN), Djamel Sedjati (ALG), Marco Arop (CAN), Mohamed Attaoui (ESP), Brandon Miller (USA), Max Burgin (GBR), Mark English (IRL), Eliott Crestan (BEL), Navasky Anderson (JAM), Ben Pattison (GBR), Gabriel Tual (FRA), Handal Roban (VIN), Marino Bloudek (CRO), Donavan Brazier (USA), Francesco Pernici (ITA), Yanis Meziane (FRA) |
| Mixed 4×400m relay — final | Teams are competing; individual relay line-ups were not yet established in the published individual entry list. |
| Men’s 1500m — final | Cameron Myers (AUS), Yared Nuguse (USA), Isaac Nader (POR), Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN), Azeddine Habz (FRA), Jake Wightman (GBR), Hobbs Kessler (USA), Ethan Strand (USA), Robert Farken (GER), Cole Hocker (USA), Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech (KEN), Josh Kerr (GBR) — Jakob Ingebrigtsen withdrawn |
| Men’s 200m — final | The eight finalists will come from the two semifinals |
| Women’s 200m — final | The eight finalists will come from the two semifinals |
