Australian javelin champion Mackenzie Little ends her 2026 season on a high

Australian javelin champion Mackenzie Little has finished fourth in the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Hungary, concluding what has been a very successful 2026.

Little (a New South Wales Institute of Sport – NSWIS scholarship holder/coach, Angus McEntrye) threw a season’s best throw of 63.37m.

The Commonwealth Games champion was in third position until the last throw when Colombia’s Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado pipped her for the podium with a throw of 64.84m, the last throw of the competition.

In a surprise, Japan’s Haruyka Kitaguchi won with a Japanese national record throw of 68.92m, defeating Chinese superstar Ziyi Yan who threw 68.05m.

“I’m absolutely thrilled with a season’s best here in Budapest,” Little said. “It was an Incredible atmosphere and such a fun format, where every single round was very important and all the girls were paying really close attention to everyone else each round.

“I like to think I handle pressure quite well and I’ve been quite consistent, so I was excited to come into this competition.”

Lachlan Kennedy (QLD, Andrew Iselin) finished fifth in his 100m semi-final, the last race of a huge season for the Australian champion.

In the women’s 1500m final Abbey Caldwell (VIC, Gavin Burren) and Jessica Hull (NSWIS, Simon Hull) finished sixth and ninth respectively.

It has been a long season for both Caldwell and Hull. 

The race in Budapest was Hull’s 25th of the year, and included a Diamond League win in London.

In the women’s 800m. Sarah Billings (VIC, Nick Bideau) fished seventh, with a time of 1:58.89.

The final day of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships take place tomorrow, that includes Australian Cameron Myers (ACT, Dick Telford) in the men’s 1500m which will be one of the blockbuster races of the meet.

Jessica Hull and Rose Davies (NSWIS, Scott Westcott) in the 5000m, and Torrie Lewis (QLD, Laurent Meuwly) in the women’s 200m, will also compete for Australia on the final day.

Luke Dennehy, Australian Athletics