{
  "id": 2377635,
  "title": "Duplantis releases song for Ultimate Championship",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/duplantis-releases-song-for-ultimate-championship",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-21T12:57:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Sport",
    "slug": "bbc-sport",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cy9w75veryyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Swedish pole vault star Armand Duplantis, also known as Mondo, has released the official anthem for World Athletics' inaugural Ultimate Championship. Titled \"Gold,\" the song was written and performed by the world record holder and is now available on major streaming platforms. The first Ultimate Championship will be held from September 11-13 in Budapest and will feature world champions, Diamond League winners, and top 2026 performers, with a $10m prize fund.\n\nDuplantis, a two-time Olympic champion, explained that he penned the song to represent something greater than himself. He believes that athletes embody the spirit of representing their families, teams, and coaches when they compete on the track. Music and sports, he says, are powerful ways of bringing people together, and \"Gold\" embodies that idea.\n\nDuplantis is no stranger to releasing music alongside his athletics career. The three-time world champion has dropped five songs since his debut track \"Bop\" in February 2025, amassing over 11 million streams on Spotify. The music video for \"Gold\" was filmed in Budapest and includes footage from Duplantis' career. The athlete will perform the anthem at the conclusion of the Ultimate Championship.\n\nWorld Athletics President Sebastian Coe stated that the championship is a significant global sporting event, and it was fitting to have an inspiring anthem written and performed by a great athlete like Duplantis.",
  "summary": "Swedish pole vault star Armand Duplantis says \"music and sport bring people together in the best way as he releases 'Gold' for the upcoming inaugural Ultimate Championship.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Mondo can sing, too: Duplantis releases ‘Gold’ as anthem for Ultimate Championship",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/mondo-can-sing-too-duplantis-releases-gold-as-anthem-for-ultimate",
        "published": "2026-08-21T10:23:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Duplantis swaps pole for microphone with anthem for World Athletics Ultimate",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/duplantis-swaps-pole-for-microphone-with-anthem-for-world-athletics",
        "published": "2026-08-21T11:42:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}