Duplantis releases 'Gold' as anthem for inaugural Ultimate Championship

Armand Duplantis has released the official anthem for World Athletics' inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest on 21 August 2026. Titled 'Gold', the track was written and performed by world record holder Duplantis — more commonly known as Mondo — and has been released on major streaming platforms.

Duplantis, the Swedish pole vaulter who won gold at the European Championships in Birmingham earlier this month, is among the sport's most prominent figures linked to the new event. The first Ultimate Championship will take place from 11-13 September in Budapest and will feature world champions, Diamond League winners and the top performers of 2026. A $10m (£7.5m) prize pot has been put on offer for the competition.

"I wrote the song around representing something that's a lot bigger than yourself," said two-time Olympic champion Duplantis. "I think that's what we all do when we're on the track. We represent our family, our team, our coaches, and I love that concept. "Music and sports are the two things that bring people together in the best way, and Gold is an expression of that."

It is not the first time that Duplantis has released a song, with the three-time world champion pursuing a path in music alongside his athletics career. The US-born Swede released his debut track 'Bop' in February 2025 and has since dropped five more songs. His catalogue has accumulated more than 11 million streams on Spotify.

The music video for 'Gold' was filmed in Budapest and features footage from across Duplantis' career.

"It's a massive global sporting championship, and it felt appropriate to have an anthem that serves to inspire our audiences and fans across the world written and performed by one of the greats," World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said.

Duplantis will perform the track live at the close of the Ultimate Championship. The event runs from 11-13 September in Budapest.