Ultimate preview: men's hammer

World lead: 84.25m Bence Halasz (HUN) Birmingham, 11 Aug2026 world list | world rankings

World record: 86.74m Yuriy Sedykh (URS) Stuttgart, 30 Aug 1986world all-time list | world record progression

Asked for his ultimate clash in the world of athletics, Olympic and world hammer champion Ethan Katzberg said simply: "Me against Bence Halász at any event in Budapest.”

The Canadian will have that wish realised in the coming days as he once again goes head to head against his great rival at the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre.

Both men have promised a potentially thrilling showdown. Katzberg has already performed well in Budapest this summer, achieving a season’s best 83.64m throw there back in July.

But that is still shy of the mark – 84.25m for 10th on the all-time list – achieved by Halász in Birmingham last month. That was on the occasion of his European Championships win.

For all his prowess on the world stage, it was the Hungarian’s first senior title having had seven previous podium finishes at past major championships, and he will have massive home support as he aims to make it two major championship wins in a single season.

Like his great rival, Katzberg also has a title to his name in 2026 having beaten the field in Glasgow to win a first Commonwealth Games title, adding to an Olympic gold and two past world titles, the first of which played out in Budapest in 2023.

While the pair might be expected to be the top two come the final round at the Ultimate on the basis of recent form, the world of men’s hammer is awash with long throwers currently.

Ten men have already thrown 80 metres-plus this season including France’s Yann Chaussinand (82.44m), Mykhaylo Kokhan of Ukraine (82.38m), Poland's five-time world champion Paveł Fajdek (82.09m) and Germany's world silver medallist Merlin Hummel (81.74m).

In a city in rapture to the hammer, it promises to be a possible stand-out event across the three nights of action of the Ultimate.

Matt Majendie for World Athletics

Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion