‘What? Really?’ Aussie’s shock $105k jackpot in $10m new athletics tournament

Australian Nicola Olyslagers might have been pipped for a World Athletics Ultimate Championship high jump title.

But the tournament's monstrous prize pool ensured she will still leave Budapest a winner.

The 29-year old, who won gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championship and silver at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, cleared 1.95m at the inaugural event, finishing second behind Ukrainian Olympic gold medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

Olyslagers was delighted as she cleared 1.95 at her third attempt, punching the air as she secured silver.

Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

"That's the happiest I've ever been after a 1.95," she told reporters.

"I think I celebrated as if I'd won the whole competition and it was a really good jump."

But it was only then that she realised the significance of what she'd done.

With unmatched prize money totalling $10 million on offer over 28 disciplines, Olyslagers earned a cool AUD$105,000 from a single jump.

That's $5,000 more than what she earned from last year's world title - in an event she won.

"What? Really?" the Australian exclaimed when told what she'd be taking home.

"I genuinely thought it was just first prize got the 150k and second was like $10,000.

"You are the bearer of good news. That's fantastic!"

Elsewhere, seasoned Scandinavian campaigners Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen shone on the opening day of the inaugural Ultimate Championship.

The pair walked away with $150,000 each for winning the men's pole vault and 5,000m respectively.

Pitched as a season-ending championship to bring together the best of the best, including 26 Olympic champions from the 2024 Paris Games, 26 world champions from Tokyo last year and 25 Diamond League winners from the 2026 season, the opening eight finals more than lived up to the hype.

US-born Swede Duplantis cleared 6.20 metres for victory ahead of Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis, while Norway's Ingebrigtsen continued his comeback from injury with a stunning win in the 5,000m in 12:59.24, just the second time in his career he has gone sub-13min.

Australian Ky Robinson led late but couldn't sustain the effort, finishing ninth.

"It was a really fun competition tonight. It was a little bit chilly, but I had a great time," said Duplantis.

Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen, who will also race the 1,500m, produced a devastating sprint down the home straight for victory over world champion Cole Hocker of the US (13:00.05).

"I haven't run too many 5,000m races this season, but it's always good to be back competing," said Ingebrigtsen, who won his fourth successive European 5,000m title in Birmingham last month in what was his first race of the year following achilles surgery.

"There was a lot of hope and eventually I got my momentum going. I have gained a lot from the races I've done in the last couple of weeks," he said.

"Being injured I was fearing the worst outcome and did not know if I would be able to run at all, especially at this level.

"This victory is truly amazing."

Two of this season's world record holders, Masai Russell and Ja'Kobe Tharp, duly won their short hurdles races.

Russell, fresh from running a pacesetting 12.09sec in Brussels, reeled in the 100m hurdles field after a sluggish start for victory in 12.22sec ahead of Nigeria's Tobi Amusan, in 12.34sec.

Russell's US teammate Tharp, who set a world record of 12.75sec in June, edged world champion Cordell Tinch by one-hundredth of a second for 110m hurdles victory in 12.94sec.

The first title of the first night of action went to the United States in the 4x100m mixed relay, giving them a shared pot of $80,000.

The quartet of Ronnie Baker, Anavia Battle, Courtney Lindsey and Kayla White clocked 39.64sec ahead of world record holders Jamaica (39.72) and Britain (40.26) rounding out the podium.

"It's really exciting to be the first ever Ultimate champions!" said Baker. Germany's world silver medallist Merlin Hummel was the surprise winner of the men's hammer throw, with the infield painted black.

His best of 81.46m was enough to set himself up as a clear victor over Hungary's European champion Bence Halasz (80.30).

"It is so overwhelming," said Hummel. "I am used to being in the top three but being the first and to win the Ultimate title feels very special."

Olympic, world and Commonwealth champion Ethan Katzberg of Canada missed out on a podium after two opening no-marks that saw him promptly eliminated from the competition.

"I'm taking some tough lessons today and I definitely could have done a few things differently but I don't really want to dwell on it too much," Katzberg said.

"I want to move forward, focus on what I need and get ready for next season."

Italy's Larissa Iapichino wrapped up the women's long jump with a best of 6.90m.