Elaine Thompson-Herah lines up in Budapest on Tuesday to face Olympic 200m champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia in the women’s 100m at the István Gyulai Memorial, the 2026 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold finale.
Who’s racing in Budapest?
Julien Alfred arrives fresh from a 20.51-second win in the women’s 200m at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday, a time that moves her to number three on the all-time list. Thompson-Herah, the 2021 Olympic 100m and 200m champion, brings her own firepower to the line. She’ll be joined by fellow Jamaican Tina Clayton, the 2025 World Championship 100m silver medallist.
Why this race matters for Thompson-Herah
This isn’t just another meet. The Gyulai Memorial packs the world’s fastest sprinters into one stadium, and Thompson-Herah’s presence alone raises the stakes. A win would tighten her grip on the 2026 season narrative. A loss would hand Alfred a statement scalp after her Monaco breakthrough.
The full women’s sprint card
The 200m features U.S. Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, who ran 21.84 in her Diamond League debut in Monaco and finished third. She’ll race Kayla White and Jamaica’s Nikisha Pryce, who’s dropping down from 400m. In the 100m hurdles, Masai Russell—unbeaten this season—will chase the world record of 12.12 and owns five of the 10 fastest times in 2026.
Men’s sprints: Brown and Britt lead the charge
Aaron Brown tops the men’s 200m after a wind-assisted 19.88 at the Ed Murphy Classic in Tennessee on Friday. He’ll face Morocco’s Yassine Hssine and Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba, both under 20 seconds this year. The 110m hurdles boasts Jamal Britt, who’s won four Diamond League races and lowered his PB to 12.86. He’ll line up with Ja’Kobe Tharp—who stunned with a 12.75 world record at the NCAA semi-finals—plus Trey Cunningham, who beat Britt at the Gold Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome with a 12.98 PB.