Record-breaking World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 sets benchmark for global season
23rd March 2026The World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 delivered the highest-quality edition in the history of the championships, underlining its status as a key milestone in a packed global athletics calendar. With a competition performance score of 49,516, the three-day event – which concluded on Sunday (22) – set a new benchmark for the World Indoor Championships, surpassing the previous best of 49,348 achieved in Belgrade in 2022. As the second of six World Athletics Series events in 2026 – and the only classic senior global track and field championships of the year – Kujawy Pomorze provided a major stage for athletes to test themselves against the world’s best, while also offering an early indication of form ahead of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship later this year. “The World Indoor Championships in Kujawy Pomorze was a veritable feast of athletics,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “Records have been broken on and off the field of play and our athletes were awe inspiring. Poland has been a fantastic host, with enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowds in one of the heartlands of global athletics. “The World Indoor Championships continues to go from strength to strength. While we reflect on a remarkable edition of our indoor showpiece, we can also look forward to the next two editions, heading to India in 2028 and Kazakhstan in 2030, as well as a host of global events still to come this year, including the inaugural Ultimate Championship.” Records and participation Two world records highlighted a competition of exceptional depth and quality. Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer produced a world record of 6670 to win the men’s heptathlon, also setting a world heptathlon best of 7.52 in the 60m hurdles along the way. The Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton equalled her own world and championship record of 7.65 to win the women’s 60m hurdles. Six championship records were set across the programme: 44.76 Christopher Morales Williams (CAN) men’s 400m 1:55.30 Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) women’s 800m 7.65 (=CR) Devynne Charlton (BAH) women’s 60m hurdles 6.25m Mondo Duplantis (SWE) men’s pole vault 6670 Simon Ehammer (SUI) men’s heptathlon 3:01.52 United States (USA) men’s 4x400m Elsewhere, USA’s Anna Hall set a championship pentathlon 800m best of 2:06.32. A total of 632 athletes from 111 countries competed in Kujawy Pomorze, comprising 323 men and a record 309 women. Across the three days of competition, athletes produced: 12 world-leading marks Seven area records 46 national records 174 personal bests The medals table reflected the global spread of success: 16 countries won gold medals 32 countries reached the podium 50 countries achieved at least one top-eight finish The United States topped the medals table with five gold, seven silver and six bronze medals, extending its all-time tally at the World Indoors to 324 medals. Milestones and standout achievements The championships also delivered a series of notable individual milestones. Mondo Duplantis continued his remarkable dominance. There have been nine global championships so far this decade, and the Swedish pole vaulter has won gold at all nine (two Olympics, three World Championships, four World Indoors). Shot putter Tom Walsh of New Zealand added to his record medal haul with his fourth title and seventh medal. No other man in history has earned more medals at the World Indoor Championships. USA’s Cooper Lutkenhaus became the youngest ever individual medallist and champion in World Indoor Championships history, while Devynne Charlton became the first athlete to win three world indoor titles in the women’s 60m hurdles. Spain’s 1500m winner Mariano García, the gold medallist over 800m in 2022, became the first athlete to win world indoor titles at both middle-distance events, while Colombia’s Natalia Linares secured her country’s first ever World Indoor Championships medal with bronze in the long jump. The championships also had record depth in the men’s and women’s 60m, men’s and women’s pole vault, and men’s 60m hurdles. Strong engagement on and off the track The championships welcomed more than 20,000 spectators across the weekend, with both the Saturday and Sunday evening sessions completely sold out. More than 70 rights-holding broadcasters delivered coverage across over 130 territories, complemented by global access via the World Athletics+ streaming platform. The event attracted significant global attention, with 280 accredited media on site, including 141 press and 120 photographers, alongside broadcasters and content creators. About 1100 interviews were conducted in the mixed zone. In traditional media coverage, there was a 72% increase in media visibility compared to the 2024 edition of the championships in Glasgow – which was the previous highest – with 90,000 articles and a potential reach of 41.6 billion. Nearly 1000 journalists and commentators – both on-site and remote – used the smart live commentary system. More than 11,000 official data messages and 28,000 live tracking data points were processed. Digital engagement continued to grow, with a 40% increase in World Athletics website users compared to the 2025 edition and a 60% rise in participation in the ‘Predict the Podium’ game. In terms of World Athletics’ social media channels, YouTube had 17.3 million impressions and 3 million views, while Facebook had 25.2 million views. Reach on Instagram and TikTok was 2.5 million on each channel, with 37.3 million views on Instagram and 4.1 million video views on TikTok. The MOWA exhibition attracted 55,000 visitors in the lead-up to and during the championships. The championships also placed sustainability and athlete welfare at the centre of its delivery. The local organising committee targeted gold-level achievement under the Athletics for a Better World Standard, with a range of initiatives embedded across the event. While the audit process is ongoing, sustainability was a clear priority throughout planning and delivery. In addition, 323 female athletes completed SRY gene screening tests as part of ongoing athlete support and eligibility processes.