American relay record and hurdles wins for Team USATF on Day 1 of World Ultimate Championship

BUDAPEST — An American record win in the mixed 4x100 and a pair of superb hurdle victories highlighted Team USATF performances on the first day of the World Ultimate Championship at National Stadium. Chilly and damp conditions didn't slow the world's elite who were competing in front of a large and appreciative Hungarian crowd with record cash prizes on the line.
 
Running blind in the outside lane to open the meet, Team USATF shattered the American record in the mixed 4x100 relay as the team of Ronnie Baker, Anavia Battle, Courtney Lindsey, and Kayla White won in 39.64, the second fastest time ever and just .02 seconds off the world record. The previous best by a U.S. team was 40.33 at the World Relays earlier this year.
 
Baker turned in the fastest leadoff leg with a 10.44 to handoff to Battle with a lead of almost a tenth of a second over Jamaica, and Battle blazed down the backstretch in 10.00 to pass to Lindsey with a .08 lead. Lindsey ran the fastest bend overall at 9.20 and set up the American anchor for a victory gallop with a lead of .16 over Jamaica. White did her job and held off the Jamaican anchor, leaving the island nation second in 39.72, with Great Britain third in 40.26.
 
Crowning a perfect season in the women's 100 hurdles with a 12th straight win, Masai Russell came from behind and took the lead over the final three barriers to cross the line in 12.22. Russell, the Olympic champion and new world record holder, got out a half stride behind Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas but remained patient as she endeavored to overhaul Charlton.
 
Taking the lead by hurdle eight, Russell sealed her victory with a clear run over the final two barriers and clocked the ninth fastest time ever by an American. Including her 12.09 WR last month, Russell now has eight of the 11 fastest all-time U.S. performances. Former world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria was second in 12.34, and Nadine Visser of the Netherlands ended up third in 12.38. Alaysha Johnson took sixth in 12.46, and USATF champ Alia Armstrong was eighth in 12.77.
 
World record holder Ja'Kobe Tharp also put a bow on a magical season in the men's 110 hurdles as he outleaned world champion Cordell Tinch to win in 12.94. With five Americans in what ultimately became a seven-man race after the DQ of Switzerland's Jason Joseph for a false start, it looked more like the USATF final, and the sea of American uniforms assaulted the finish line as U.S. hurdlers went 1-4.
 
Tharp was not the quickest out of the blocks as Bradley Franklin and Tinch took the lead right away and were slightly up on Trey Cunningham and Jamal Britt early on. Britt clattered a barrier late and was out of contention as Tharp continued to steadily make up ground. Coming off the final hurdle, Tharp had just enough to edge past Tinch, who was second in a season best of 12.95. Franklin, who won his semi with a PB of 12.99, took third in 13.01, while Cunningham was fourth in 13.08.
 
A sizzling 12.60 final 100 gave Jakob Ingebrigtsen the victory in the men's 5000 as he sprinted past Parker Wolfe to take the win in 12:59.24. Reigning world champion Cole Hocker left his kick a bit late but came through to finish second in 13:00.05, with Wolfe holding on for third in 13:00.13. Nico Young (13:00.26), Grant Fisher (13:00.34) and Graham Blanks (13:00.40) ended up 5-7 in a blanket finish.
 
Burundi's Egide Ntakarutimana set the early pace and carried the field past 1K in 2:39.77 before Cornelius Kemboi of Kenya took over and led past 2K in 5:15.93. After a brief interlude with Ntakarutimana back at the front, Australia's Ky Robinson made a push and passed 3K in 7:58.94. When the Aussie yielded the lead, Biniam Mehary of Ethiopia eased to the front and went by 4K in 10:33.25.
 
Robinson made another move in the next lap, but at the bell it was Wolfe who was in control. He headed the field off the final turn with a large group jockeying for position behind him, and Ingebrigtsen used the racing savvy that earned him the Olympic gold in Paris and a pair of world titles to push his way into the lead before he pulled away to clock 54.39 over the final circuit and claim another famous victory.
 
Heading into the final round of the women's long jump, Alyssa Jones was second behind Italy's Larissa Iapichino, as both athletes had recorded their best effort in round one. Iapichino nailed a 6.90 opening leap and Jones sailed out to 6.77, but neither could improve in the next three rounds.
 
Britain's Jazmin Sawyers did improve though, using a 6.78 on her final jump to sneak past Jones into second. 2025 World Indoor champion Claire Bryant placed fifth at 6.52, and Diamond League final winner Monae' Nichols was seventh with a best of 6.39.
 
As expected, the men's pole vault was a two-man battle between world record holder Mondo Duplantis of Sweden and Greece's Emmanouil Karalis, who has been chipping away at the Swede's dominance. Duplantis came away with the win, clearing 6.20 before three attempts at what would have been a world record of 6.32. Karalis made 6.15 for second. Zach Bradford was the top American in fifth with a clearance at 5.95, and Sam Kendricks tied for sixth at 5.80. Also going over 5.80, Chris Nilsen was eighth.
 
Rudy Winkler was the other American in field event action, finishing seventh in the men's hammer with a best of 75.86. The event was won by Germany's Merlin Hummel at 81.46, with local favorite Bence Halasz of Hungary second at 80.30. Reigning Olympic and world champion Ethan Katzberg had two fouls to open and did not qualify for the final two rounds.
 
Semifinals in the men's 400 presented an interesting matchup in the first section with world leader and reigning world champ Collen Kebinatshipi of Botswana lined up to the inside of Rai Benjamin and Chris Bailey. Those three and Trinidad's Jereem Richards put daylight between them and the rest of the heat, with Kebinatshipi taking the win in 44.23 ahead of Bailey (44.28) and Benjamin (44.28), relegating Richards to fourth but safely in the final.
 
In a much slower second semi, Jacory Patterson stormed down the final stretch to go past Olympic silver medalist Matthew Hudson-Smith of Britain and grab the victory in 44.73. Khaleb McRae was eighth in 46.55 and did not advance.
 
Olympic champ Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic topped all qualifiers for the final of the women's 400 with a 49.58 in the first section. Aaliyah Butler ended up third in semi two to advance, also breaking 50 with a 49.82 in a race won by Norway's European champion, Henriette Jaeger. Alexis Holmes was eighth in the first semi in 51.60 and did not qualify for the final.
 
Addy Wiley was the only American to advance to the final in the women's 800, an event that  fulfilled predictions as heavy favorites Audrey Werro of Switzerland and Keely Hodgkinson of Britain made quick work of their semis. Olympic champion Hodgkinson stayed out  of trouble in the first semi and was an easy winner in 1:57.57, the fastest time overall, but Wiley had to push the pedal to the max to ensure her spot. She used a 15.32 final 100 to end up second in 1:58.14.
 
Werro, now the third fastest woman in history with three sub-1:54 clockings this season, held off Femke Broeders-Bol down the stretch to win the second semi in 1:59.05. Raevyn Rogers was pipped at the line by Switzerland's Valentina Rosamilia and ended up just out of the final in fifth at 1:59.86. Roisin Willis was seventh in semi one at 2:00.11 and also did not move on.