BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� Swedish pole vaulter is singing about his favorite color in a promotion for the first Ultimate Championship.
The two-time Olympic champion released 鈥淕old鈥� with World Athletics on Friday as the anthem of the upcoming meet that boasts a total .
Ultimate Championship will be staged in Budapest from Sept. 11-13 showcasing Olympic, world and Diamond League champions over three evening sessions. Gold medalists in individual events will win $150,000.
The 26-year-old Duplantis has for several years and released his first single, 鈥淏op,鈥� in 2025.
Duplantis, the world-record holder, says he dreams of .
鈥淕old鈥� was written by Duplantis with Carl Silvergran and Oscar Chase, and was produced by Chase, the World Athletics announcement said.
鈥淚 wrote the song around representing something that鈥檚 a lot bigger than yourself,鈥� Duplantis said in the announcement. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 what we all do when we鈥檙e 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 鈥楪old鈥� is an expression of that.鈥�
The accompanying music video was filmed in the Hungarian capital and includes archival footage of Duplantis as a young athlete.
The Louisiana-born Duplantis last year he uses his music 鈥渁s a way of therapy. I really love to have something else to be able to do, and to kind of take myself away from sports a little bit.鈥�
At the Ultimate Championship, his new song 鈥渨ill be woven into the broadcast and live-event experience, connecting fans in-stadium with audiences around the world,鈥� World Athletics said.
Duplantis is scheduled to perform 鈥淕old鈥� live in-stadium to close out the event.
鈥淭he Ultimate is purposefully designed to showcase the talents and passions of our sport鈥檚 biggest stars, on and off the track,鈥� World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said. 鈥淢ondo is one of our most recognizable and accomplished athletes, and we could not be more excited that he is the one who created the Ultimate Anthem.”
The championship will be a biennial event.
___
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
