Saly Sarr won the women’s triple jump title at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Saly Sarr won the women’s triple jump title at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, landing a sensational leap of 15.06 metres on her very first attempt.

The high-stakes global athletics finale took place from September 11–13, 2026, inside the Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ. Tailored by World Athletics to bring together only the absolute elite tier of track and field athletes, the event offered a record-shattering $150,000 to individual event winners. On Sunday, September 13, the women’s triple jump final lived up to the championship’s “ultimate” moniker. It delivered a masterclass in pressure-filled field execution, culminating in an emotional, career-defining triumph for Senegal’s rising star.

Entering the final, much of the pre-event anticipation centered around Dominica’s reigning Olympic champion Thea LaFond, who had achieved a spectacular world-leading mark of 15.25 metres earlier in the summer. However, the fast-paced, television-optimized tournament format required athletes to establish their presence immediately, bypassing standard long qualifying rounds.

Saly Sarr did exactly that. Taking to the runway for her opening attempt under a slight +0.3 m/s tailwind, the Senegalese athlete executed a flawless approach, hitting the board perfectly and soaring deep into the sandpit. When the official measurement flashed on the scoreboard, it read a massive 15.06 metres. The opening statement not only put immense psychological pressure on the rest of the elite eight-woman field but ultimately proved to be the golden jump of the entire competition.

With Sarr holding the top spot, a fierce Caribbean chase materialized along the runway. Cuba’s Davisleydi Velazco, navigating a demanding year where she balanced elite training with a job outside of sport, put together the performance of her life. Velazco steadily improved her phases throughout the evening, building immense momentum for the fourth and final round.

Unleashing a spectacular final-round effort, Velazco hit the board clean and stretched out to a massive 15.04 metres (+0.5 m/s). For a heart-stopping moment inside the stadium, it appeared she might snatch the historic $150,000 winner’s prize. However, when the measurement confirmed she fell a mere two centimeters short, Velazco celebrated a hard-earned silver medal and a substantial $75,000 payout.

Completing the Cuban 2-3 on the podium was Leyanis Pérez Hernández. Pérez Hernández registered a powerful mark of 14.90 metres to comfortably secure the bronze medal. However, the physical toll of the intense season-ending competition caught up to her. She chose to pass on her final attempt after feeling her hamstring tighten, wisely choosing to protect her health rather than risk a severe injury.

The biggest surprise of the evening was the fourth-place finish of global icon Thea LaFond. As the final jumper in the sequence, LaFond struggled to find her technical rhythm on the Budapest runway. Her best effort of the night came in the third round, measuring 14.47 metres. Needing a monstrous final jump to move into medal positioning, LaFond could only land at 14.09 metres, officially solidifying the final standings and confirming Sarr as the ultimate champion.

Final Standings in women’s triple jump at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship
1. Saly Sarr (SEN) – 15.06m (+0.3m/s)
2. Davisleydi Velazco (CUB) – 15.04m (+0.5m/s) (PB)
3. Leyanis Pérez Hernández (CUB) – 14.90m (+0.7m/s)
4. Thea LaFond (DMA) – 14.47m (-0.1m/s)
5. Ackelia Smith (JAM) – 14.23m (+0.3m/s)
6. Dariya Derkach (ITA) – 13.82m (-0.3m/s)

“It really means a lot to win and become the Ultimate champion”, said a deeply emotional Saly Sarrreflected during her post-event interview. “I am really happy, really satisfied. There are no holidays, it’s just straight back to work”, added she.

By securing the historic victory, Sarr cemented her status as a premier global force in the horizontal jumps. Walking away with the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship trophy, her golden moment capped off an unforgettable three days of elite competition in Budapest.