With a compressed program over three days, high entertainment value for TV viewers and a prize pool of around 100 million SEK, the goal of the Ultimate Championship is to create hype around the sport's biggest stars.
Swedish superstar Armand Duplantis, who competes in pole vault tonight, is an ambassador along with sprint legend Usain Bolt.
But the organisers have chosen to remove several classic track and field events. Among those that will not be included is discus, which means that Sweden's Olympic and world champion Daniel Ståhl is excluded from the million-dollar prize.
"I think that's wrong"
Sweden's national team captain Kajsa Bergqvist likes the concept but questions how the competition is marketed.
I think all new competition formats that give athletes the opportunity to compete under good conditions and with good prize money are very positive. What I think is wrong is calling it a championship, because it is not, Bergqvist tells TT and continues:
If you have a championship in athletics, then all the athletics disciplines that are part of athletics must also be included, and that's not the case. This is more of a cool gala. But it's not a championship. I think they may have marketed it a bit misleadingly, she continues.
“No response received”
The fact that Ståhl and other throwers will be left out of the new major initiative has raised questions, but there are no official answers as to why discus was specifically selected.
Some branches may not be considered attractive enough, says Bergqvist.
Hurdler Oskar Edlund is the other Swede in the competition.
As a competition format, I think it will be awesome with good pressure, he says.
Edlund is excited about the new concept.
The focus of the whole thing is that it should be cool for TV viewers. They will light up the tracks with lights when you run and the sleds will be painted in cool colours. It will be a bit special, he says and continues:
"It's a commercial championship. Very media-oriented. It should be attractive to TV viewers and then you need to have a shorter program for the disciplines," says Edlund.
The Ultimate Championship brings together the world's elite in athletics, where Olympic winners, world champions and Diamond League winners compete in their respective disciplines.
The winner in their category takes home almost 1.5 million kronor.
Not all athletics events are included in the program. Among other things, discus, 3,000-meter hurdles and 10,000 metres are missing.
It is a completely new competition that will be arranged every two years, during the years when no outdoor World Championships are held.
Swedish participants in the premiere edition are Armand Duplantis (pole vault) and Oskar Edlund (400-meter hurdles).
The competition will be held September 11–13 in Budapest.
