TDK to showcase Smart Javelin Technology as official global supporter of World Athletics Ultimate Championship

• Top athletes from around the world will throw a 'TDK smart javelin' equipped with TDK sensors during a special demonstration session at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, from September 11-13.
• Throwing data collected by sensors will be analysed in real time, and visualisations of the data will be showcased at the venue.

TDK Corporation (TSE:6762) has been announced as an official global supporter of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. As part of the partnership, TDK will provide a 'TDK Smart Javelin' – a javelin equipped with TDK sensors – to visualise performance data during a special javelin-throw demonstration session at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, to be held in Budapest, Hungary, from September 11-13.

Ahead of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, TDK worked with World Athletics on a project to visualise javelin throw data using sensor technology. The project explored how previously unseen performance data could be captured and presented to enhance understanding of the event for athletes and spectators.

Since then, improvements to the sensor module and software have enabled TDK to analyse and visualise the javelin’s movement in real time. While conventional competition results record the distance of each throw, the sensor technology can provide additional data on factors such as release angle, rotation, speed, height and flight trajectory. This information can give athletes greater insight into their technique and performance, while the visualisations can also help spectators better understand the technical and physical demands of javelin throwing.

Top javelin throwers from around the world will participate in the demonstration session. Data collected from the javelins – including release angle, rotation, speed, height and flight trajectory – will be analysed in real time, with visualisations displayed at the venue. The technology will give spectators a new way to understand the technique and performance behind elite javelin throwing.

■ Session details
•Date / time: Friday 11 September 2026, 9:00am–1:00pm local time (scheduled)
•Venue: Training & warm-up venue at The Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre

■ Athletes scheduled to participate
• Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (Sri Lanka): Ranked No.1 in the world in men’s javelin in 2026
• Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago): 2025 world champion; 2012 Olympic champion; 2016 Olympic bronze medallist
• Haruka Kitaguchi (Japan): 2024 Olympic champion; 2023 world champion; Japanese record holder
(Note: Kitaguchi will attend the session to discuss the sensor technology but will not throw)
• Máté Horváth (Hungary): 2025 Hungarian champion; 2022 European U18 silver medallist
• Fanni Kövér (Hungary): 2024 Hungarian champion; 2023 European U20 bronze medallist
• Máté Járvás (Hungary): 2026 Hungarian bronze medallist

The project forms part of TDK’s long-term Vision, ‘TDK Transformation’ and its ‘In Everything, Better.’ brand identity. Through its ‘TDK Sensing Within’ concept, TDK is working with partners to apply its sensor technology to products and solutions across a range of areas.

TDK has been an official partner of World Athletics since 1983 and has supported the development of athletics for more than four decades. The partnership has increasingly included projects that use TDK technology to provide new insights into athlete performance and the sport.

The World Athletics Ultimate Championship is a brand-new global championship that is set to transform the athletics calendar and settle the debate over which athlete is the best of the best every two years. It will pit world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and the year’s top-ranked athletes against each other to crown the champion of champions. The Ultimate, which will take place in Budapest, Hungary, on 11-13 September, features a historic prize pot of US$10 million.