For Merlin Hummel, a $150,000 payday could have meant almost anything. A new car. A lavish vacation. Maybe a little celebration after a breakthrough season.
Instead, the German hammer thrower had something far less glamorous in mind.
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“Yeah… I don’t know, I just, I’m not thinking about spending it, actually. I’m a really boring guy. I will just lay it down and, like, pay my taxes and then invest it. So, don’t… Like… keep your a– calm on that part, I think it’s the best choice,” he revealed to CBC Sports.
That was Hummel’s answer after securing the biggest win of his career at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest. At 24, the German had finally turned two major silver medals into gold, launching his hammer 81.46 meters to claim the title and the $150,000 prize.
For someone who had spent the season knocking on the door of the biggest victories, the timing could hardly have been better. Hummel had already shown he belonged among the sport’s elite, but Budapest offered him a chance to change the story. This time, there would be no silver medal waiting at the end of the competition.
And he had to do it against a field that included some of the biggest names in the event. With the new four-throw format leaving little room for mistakes, every attempt carried extra weight. Hummel’s opening throw would ultimately prove decisive, giving him the cushion he needed to withstand the pressure as the competition unfolded around him.
What did Merlin Hummel say about his performance at the Ultimate Championships?
Hummel entered Budapest carrying plenty of momentum. He had already established himself as one of the world’s leading hammer throwers, winning silver at the 2025 World Championships before adding another silver at the European Championships.
This time, though, there was no runner-up finish.
His opening throw of 81.46m immediately put him in control. Hungary’s Bence Halász, the European champion, managed 80.30m to move into second, while Olympic and world champion Ethan Katzberg endured a nightmare start. The Canadian fouled both of his opening attempts and never registered a valid mark.
The unusual format made every throw matter even more. Athletes had four attempts instead of the traditional six, with only the top six moving beyond the second round. Hummel made the most of his opportunity, coming within centimeters of his winning mark with an 81.44m effort in the third round.
Nobody could catch him.
Mykhaylo Kokhan settled for third with 78.90m, while Halász remained second. Hummel, meanwhile, had gone from collecting silver medals to holding the trophy that mattered most.
“It is so overwhelming,” Hummel said. “Just two years ago I was in the top eight in the world, so then I was overwhelmed with the silver medal at the World Championships last year. I am used to being in the top three now, but winning the Ultimate title feels very special.”
Yet the road to victory was hardly smooth.
The wet throwing circle created problems throughout the competition, forcing the athletes to constantly adjust. Hummel even fell during one of his attempts and damaged some cameras around the circle. Rather than allowing the chaos to derail him, he tried to stay composed.
“I just had to adapt to the competition and stay relaxed,” he explained.
That composure ultimately delivered his biggest prize yet.
The victory also gave Hummel a chance to test himself against a new kind of pressure. With no traditional medals being awarded in Budapest, the champion instead took home a substantial trophy – a roughly three-kilogram concrete block that will now sit alongside the medals and trophies he has collected throughout his career.
And while the money attached to the victory might have been enough to change someone’s plans, Hummel appeared more interested in what it could do for his future.
He admitted that the result would take some time to fully sink in. His mind, he joked, was already on vacation. But the break will not last forever.
“I’m already looking forward to next year because I know what I’m still capable of,” Hummel said.
That may be the most revealing part of his reaction. The $150,000 will be taxed, invested and eventually put to work. The trophy will find its place at home. But the 81.46m throw may prove to be the part Hummel remembers most.
After two major silvers, he finally knows what it feels like to stand alone at the top. Now, he wants to see how much further he can throw.