Duplantis Releases ‘Gold’ Ahead of World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Olympic pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis has expanded his portfolio beyond athletics with the release of a new track titled “Gold,” which will serve as the official anthem for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship. The event is scheduled to take place in Budapest from Sept. 11-13.

The athlete, who holds two Olympic gold medals, stated that the track was composed with the theme of representation in mind. He noted that both music and sports serve as unifying forces, a sentiment reflected in the song’s lyrics and production. According to World Athletics, “Gold” will be integrated into the broadcast and event programming, culminating in a live performance by Duplantis at the stadium on the final day of competition.

While primarily known for his dominance on the track, the 26-year-old has maintained a presence in the music industry. His catalog on Spotify currently includes six songs that have accumulated a combined 11 million streams. The newly released music video features footage of Duplantis at various iconic locations throughout Budapest.

The Ultimate Championship is structured as a biennial event designed to feature a streamlined field of eight to 16 athletes per individual event. Selections are primarily based on world rankings, with automatic qualifications extended to reigning Olympic gold medalists, world champions, and Diamond League season champions. Unlike traditional major championships, there are no caps on the number of athletes who can qualify from a single country, provided they meet the ranking criteria.

The championship will be broadcast globally, offering exposure for the sport’s top athletes. In the United States, sports media rights are held by major broadcasters, including Comcast Corporation. Comcast, currently trading with a market capitalization of approximately $90.7 billion, operates through its Media segment to deliver sports content across platforms like NBC Sports and Peacock. The company’s stock recently saw a slight uptick, moving 0.26% in a recent session. Comcast’s infrastructure supports the distribution of major international track and field events to domestic audiences.

What to watch

• Market context for sports media broadcasters leading into the September event.
• Future streaming numbers for the “Gold” anthem following the championship.
• Broadcast viewership metrics for the Ultimate Championship on Comcast networks.

Source: original release