World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and local athletes have run the inaugural lap of the track at Budapest's new National Athletics Centre, the venue for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in August.
"With the introduction of the super-fast Mondo track of the National Athletics Centre, the stage is set for exhilarating battles and historic performances at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest," said Coe after running on the new track, accompanied by local young athletes.
The build-up through the one-day meetings of the Wanda Diamond League and the Continental Tour has seen some thrills and spills already.
And you don’t need to wait long for finals. They have been set throughout the Championships from the first day, August 19.
All athletes are looking for a loud crowd to keep them focused on medals and records. But a passionate home crowd is super important to Hungarian athletes and their performances.
On day one, the men’s shot put is the first final in the stadium – defending champion Ryan Crouser (USA) broke the world record recently and will duel with two-time world champion Joe Kovacs (who may be in a USA vest but has family ties much closer to here – his grandfather is from the village of Szentpéterfa in Hungary).
For those who want a weekend of watching the strongest men in athletics, Sunday, August 20 features the men’s hammer throw.
“I don’t need to tell the people of Hungary that there is a huge national tradition in this event. Five of Hungary’s 10 Olympic athletics gold medals are for the hammer. And Hungary’s very own Bence Halász, who won the European Athletics silver medal in Munich last year and bronze at the World Championships in Doha in 2019 will be wanting his home crowd to give him a little extra muscle,” added Coe.
“As Budapest and the whole country prepares to welcome athletes from more than 200 countries; for Central European fans, this is a unique opportunity to see the world’s best athletes compete in their own region. My message to all of you is don’t miss out. Book your tickets and your place in history now,” maintained Coe.
