The Museum Of World Athletics Heritage Exhibition in Budapest - hosts of this year's World Athletics Championships - has its official Opening Ceremony tonight ©MOWA

Five celebrated Hungarian athletes are due to attend tonight’s official opening of the Museum Of World Athletics (MOWA) installation in Budapest, which will host the 19th World Athletics Championships from August 19 to 27.

The MOWA Heritage Athletics Exhibition Budapest 2023, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the World Athletics Championships, is open to the public in Etele Plaza, Hungary’s newest shopping mall, until the final day of the Championships in the capital.

The home athletes due to attend the Opening Ceremony are all outdoor World Championships medallists - shot putter Anita Márton, 2017 silver medallist and 2018 world indoor champion, Zsolt Németh, the 1999 world hammer silver medallist, Bence Halász, bronze medallist in the 2019 hammer event, Krisztián Pars, the 2011 and 2013 world hammer silver medallist and London 2012 champion, and Balázs Baji, the 2017 world 110 metres hurdles bronze medallist.

The Museum Of World Athletics Heritage Exhibition in Budapest, which has its official opening tonight, will remain open until the end of the World Athletics Championships, due to be hosted in the city in August ©MOWA
The Museum Of World Athletics Heritage Exhibition in Budapest, which has its official opening tonight, will remain open until the end of the World Athletics Championships, due to be hosted in the city in August ©MOWA

Joining the athletes will be Jon Ridgeon, chief executive of World Athletics, Balázs Németh, chief executive of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, Balázs Fürjes, Deputy Minister and co-chair of the governing body of World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, and Miklós Gyulai, President of the Hungarian Athletics Association, and co-chair of the governing body of World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.

Among the featured items are two from the most bemedaled athletes in the history of the World Athletics Championships, which launched in 1983 at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium - sprinters Allyson Felix, of the United States, and Usain Bolt of Jamaica.

Felix has autographed the spikes on display which she wore at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki and Bolt has autographed the singlet and bib number he wore at the 2011 edition in Daegu.

Hungary's Krisztián Pars, the London 2012 hammer throw champion, was among five home athletes invited to tonight's official opening of the Museum Of World Athletics Heritage Exhibition in Budapest ©Getty Images
Hungary's Krisztián Pars, the London 2012 hammer throw champion, was among five home athletes invited to tonight's official opening of the Museum Of World Athletics Heritage Exhibition in Budapest ©Getty Images

As well as being viewed in person, these artefacts - which are accompanied by supporting text, photos, and video - can also be viewed in 360° 3D on the online platform.

Bolt and Felix will feature in the launch video, and will also be the subject of new posts on the MOWA Facebook page.

One of the regular features on the MOWA Facebook page will be an artefact of the week post, highlighting some of items which the MOWA is preserving for future generations of fans.

"Via our Facebook page, we are keen to share information about athletics history, and to grow and connect with the passionate community of athletics fans, historians, and collectors around the world, many of whom already visit the MOWA and engage with the World Athletics heritage programme," a MOWA spokesperson said.