The first-ever World Athletics Ultimate Championship is set to bring together some of the biggest names in track and field for three days of high-stakes competition in Budapest from September 11-13. With a massive $10 million prize purse on the line, the inaugural event promised a series of mouth-watering clashes across track and field. Shericka Jackson was expected to go head-to-head with Sha’Carri Richardson, Marileidy Paulino with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Anna Cockrell with Femke Bol and more, giving fans plenty to look forward to in the championship’s first edition.

The women’s 100m was expected to feature a strong field led by world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Olympic champion Julien Alfred and host representative Boglárka Takács, with Tina Clayton and Sha’Carri Richardson also in line for places through the World Rankings quota. However, that highly anticipated lineup has already begun to change. A withdrawal list circulating ahead of the official entry list, shared by @preet_athletics on September 1, includes several notable names set to miss events at the inaugural championship.

The women’s 100m has taken a significant hit, with Dina Asher-Smith, Shericka Jackson, Adaejah Hodge and Ewa Swoboda among the notable names listed as withdrawals. The women’s 200m has also seen several big names pull out, with Jackson, Asher-Smith and Hodge again listed among the absentees, alongside Nigeria’s Favour Ofili and American McKenzie Long. 

The withdrawals are not limited to the shorter sprints. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is among those missing from the women’s 400m, alongside Britain’s Amber Anning and Jamaica’s Dejanea Oakley. The 800m will also be without Britain’s Georgia Hunter-Bell and American Sage Hurta-Klecker, while the middle-distance events have taken another major hit with Faith Kipyegon set to miss both the 1500m and 5000m.

American Sinclaire Johnson is also out of the 1500m, while the 5000m will be without Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet and Agnes Ngetich, as well as Italy’s Nadia Battocletti. The hurdles have taken a hit as well, with Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji and American Grace Stark missing the 100m hurdles, while Femke Bol is out of the 400m hurdles.

In the field events, Germany’s Malaika Mihambo and Colombia’s Natalia Linares are among those missing the long jump, while Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas and American Jasmine Moore are set to sit out the triple jump. The men’s programme has faced a similar setback, with several leading names also dropping out of their respective events.

Major names are disappearing from the men’s lineup

The men’s 100m has also taken a significant hit, with Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, American Jordan Anthony and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala among those set to miss the championship. The 200m will be without American Tate Taylor and Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, while the 400m has also lost Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi and American Quincy Hall.

The absences continue in the longer events, with American Cooper Lutkenhaus, Ireland’s Cian McPhillips and Australia’s Peter Bol among the withdrawals from the 800m. The 5000m has also lost Sweden’s Andreas Almgren and France’s Jimmy Gressier. In the field events, South Korea’s Sanghyeok Woo and India’s Sarvesh Kushare are out of the high jump, while Italy’s Mattia Furlani will miss the long jump.

India will also be missing one of its biggest athletics stars, with Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra set to sit out the javelin. While the men’s 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles and pole vault have not seen any notable withdrawals so far, the growing list of absentees has still taken some of the shine off the inaugural championship. Like the women’s lineup, the men’s field is now heading into Budapest without several of its biggest names. 

The growing list of withdrawals is a reminder of just how difficult it is to bring the world’s biggest track and field stars together at the end of a long season. The World Ultimate Championship was designed as a new season finale, with Olympic and world champions, Diamond League winners and the year’s best-ranked athletes invited to Budapest, but injuries and packed calendars have taken some of those names out of the equation.

With a record $10 million prize purse and the promise of crowning the sport’s “ultimate” champions, the event still has plenty of star power, but the growing absences mean some of the dream matchups that helped sell its inaugural edition will remain just that a dream.