Saly Sarr won the Budapest triple jump title with a leap of 15.06m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship on September 13, 2026. The Senegalese athlete beat Davisleydi Velazco by just two centimetres.
Sarr’s opening jump proved enough to win. Velazco came close with 15.04m, while fellow Cuban Leyanis Pérez Hernández finished third on 14.90m.
The result added another major success to Sarr’s season. She arrived as the Diamond League champion and left Budapest with the first women’s Ultimate Championship triple jump crown.
Saly Sarr’s Budapest Win: Final Results
| Place | Athlete | Country | Best jump |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saly Sarr | Senegal | 15.06m |
| 2 | Davisleydi Velazco | Cuba | 15.04m |
| 3 | Leyanis Pérez Hernández | Cuba | 14.90m |
| 4 | Thea LaFond | Dominica | 14.47m |
| 5 | Ackelia Smith | Jamaica | 14.23m |
| 6 | Dariya Derkach | Italy | 13.82m |
| 7 | Gabriele Santos | Brazil | 13.06m |
| — | Liadagmis Povea | Cuba | No mark |
The official World Athletics results confirm the finishing order. “No mark” means the athlete did not record a valid distance.
An Opening Jump Sets the Target
Sarr put pressure on the field straight away. Her first attempt passed the 15-metre line and gave every rival a clear target.
However, the contest remained close. Velazco reached 15.04m in the third round, leaving only 0.02m between the leading pair.
That margin is two centimetres. In a jumping event, a very small difference can decide the winner even when both athletes travel more than 15 metres.
Sarr backs up her best effort
Sarr also jumped 14.92m in the third round and 14.83m in the fourth. Neither improved her first attempt, but the opening distance stayed at the top of the board.
The World Athletics final report explains how the last attempts unfolded. Velazco finished with 14.44m, while Pérez Hernández passed her final attempt.
LaFond was the last athlete to jump. Her final effort measured 14.09m, so Sarr’s title was secure. LaFond’s best of 14.47m left her fourth.
How Saly Sarr Reached Budapest in Winning Form
Earlier in the season, Sarr jumped 15.08m at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia. She then won the Diamond League title in Brussels.
She also earned a world indoor bronze medal in Toruń in March. Therefore, Budapest continued a season with strong results across different major competitions.
Her winning distance in Hungary was two centimetres shorter than her Silesia mark. Yet it was the longest valid jump in this final, which is what decided the title.
Why the Result Matters for Senegal
Saly Sarr’s Budapest victory placed Senegal at the top of a final that included the reigning world champion and Olympic champion. It also gave the country the winner of the event’s first Ultimate Championship title.
For new fans, triple jump has three linked stages: a hop, a step and a jump into the sand. Athletes need speed and balance through all three parts to produce a long valid attempt.
This final showed how narrow the gaps can be at the top level. Sarr made the strongest start, and her rivals could not quite pass it.
Follow our women’s track and field coverage for more results and explainers from the sport.
Featured image: Saly Sarr at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games. Archive photo by Dilaver Najafov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Both photos predate the Budapest final.
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