One year from now, the world will come together in Budapest, Hungary, to celebrate the pinnacle of athletics competition, the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23. In exactly 365 days, on 19 August 2023, the biggest sporting event in Hungary’s history will begin.
To mark the occasion, the organisers unveiled the logo of the event by releasing a short video. The footage is a heartfelt invitation to the world to watch together the beauty of athletics and the next host city of the World Championships.
The film features Budapest’s landmarks along the magnificent Danube River and closes with the Statue of Liberty, as represented in the logo.
A charismatic female figure holding a palm branch aloft, a symbol of victory and heroism, the reward of ancient athletes, the Statue of Liberty is both a landmark in Budapest’s World Heritage landscape and a symbol of the superheroes who achieve superhuman results on the athletics track, field and road.
While traditional Hungarian hospitality is globally recognised, the country also put itself on the map of major international sport events in the past few years. In athletics, Hungary has hosted every age-group and adult world championships, except for the upcoming world outdoor championships. The competition is the third-largest sporting event in the world, with more than a billion followers globally.
WCH Budapest 23 is about showing the world the best Hungary has to offer, the true celebration of sport on a unique stage. It is about delivering a showcase of athletics whose fans from all over the world will see that the queen of sports has never shone more beautifully.
A brand new venue will make the 2023 World Athletics Championships all the more exciting. The new National Athletics Centre, still under construction, has just taken its final shape: the crown of the queen of sports.
Following the event, the stadium will be the main competition venue and training hub for Hungarian athletics, and a prime facility of athletics in Central Europe. Thus, the facility will give a major boost not only to competitive sports, but also to recreational and youth sports. Budapest residents and students will find training tracks, running tracks, street workouts and many other opportunities for sports and recreation with a scenic view of the Danube River and the city.
“One year before the starting gun is fired, I am proud to say that the organisation is going very well and we are ready to stage a fantastic world championships. With athletes from more than 200 participating countries, and hundreds of thousands of fans, we are more than prepared to show our country and this wonderful sport to the global audience,” said Péter Deutsch, CEO of the Local Organising Committee (LOC).
Miklós Gyulai, the President of the Hungarian Athletic Association, added: “The Hungarians were delighted to take the baton from Oregon, while the competition calendar in athletics is truly busy with thrilling events. This is important not only from the aspect of sport but its significant impact on future generations. The seeds of moving must be planted at a very young age. And what could be more suitable sport than athletics, which is not only the most popular sport at the Olympic Games but also the basic of all kind of movements.”
With many national athletes qualifying for world competitions, Hungarian athletics is on the rise again. This August, Hungary’s biggest athletics competition, the István Gyulai Memorial, saw the biggest stars of world athletics and the best Hungarian athletes compete in front of a packed stadium, a very important event just a year before the World Championships.
Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics, said: “Europe has always been one of the strongholds of athletics, and we’re delighted to be going to Central Europe for the outdoor world championships for the first time. Hungary has a very rich sporting history and has shown itself to be an outstanding host of major sports events, including athletics competitions, and Budapest is a stunning city that will provide the perfect backdrop for the world’s best athletes. The Local Organising Committee hopes to organise the best World Championships ever and I applaud their ambition. We should always try to raise the bar higher at our premier event, just as our athletes do.”
History will surround the world’s athletes in Budapest as they strive to create some history of their own. The Hungarian Athletics Federation, a founding member of World Athletics, is 125 years old, and the European Federation was founded in Budapest in 1934. In 2023, it will be 150 years since the foundation of Budapest, whose historic sites and world-famous panorama will be visible to all who follow the marathon and walking races in the city centre and along the Danube. The routes will take place along the stunning Andrássy Street, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In addition to the competition on 20 August, all the athletes and visitors can be part of a very special celebration to commemorate the foundation of the state by the nation’s first king. The highlight of the day will be a spectacular firework launched from ships on the Danube.
Bence Halász, member of Team Hungary, World Championship bronze medalist hammer thrower, said: “It is an honour and a great pleasure to be part of the generation of Hungarian athletes who will host the world’s athletes in our country. I can’t wait to enter the new stadium and finally compete in front of a home crowd with the best in the world. It will be a huge boost for us and for the generations to come.”
From 19-27 August 2023, fans will be able to attend seven morning and nine evening sessions, and witness heart-warming victories, astonishing records and golden moments each day.
There is already great anticipation for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, for which ticket sales will start in Q4 2022. The LOC is preparing a range of different types of packages. No fan should miss the opportunity to watch the superstars of athletics competing in a fully packed stadium.
